What i see about the Indian issue is; it's mainly centred on Tamils living in rural or very tight financial constraints, some even in poverty. The good news for BN is, this segment of Indians (due to poverty & difficulties that come with it) can be easily bought and it's an open belief that buying over this segment of Indians in favour of BN has always been practised. However, once the elections are over, give it a month or two, they return to the same financial constraints. Take note that this segment also gives birth to crimes of all sorts including domestic violence.
Many say that poverty gets the snow ball rolling into various crimes and everything that comes with it. To make matters even worse, these are Indians who are uneducated, suffer an inferiority complex and still regard India as their homeland even though many have never seen India, not even in their dreams! Often you find children from this segment the instruments of gangsterism and crime in government schools and off course poorly performing in schools. This cycle only lives on, majority do not come out from this harsh life, they marry within the same harsh community and they produce children who are no better than them. Yes, a few have struggled their way up to middle class and living decently.
Historically, The Tamils were brought by the British to Malaysia for Railway & Road constructions. This is their field of expertise and the Tamils still hold this industry in India.
The Malayalees & Ceylonese were brought by The British into Malaysia to contribute to Education & Government Ministries, This is because the Malayalees & Ceylonese were very educated to begin with. The Community has maintained themselves on par until today and they significantly contribute to Malaysia, most of them produce professionals in their respective families. Education is God to them.
Among the Christian Malayalees, many share an history with the Portuguese due to the Portuguese having made Cochin their Hub in Kerala for the business of Spices and also to spread Catholism. These Malayalees may easily fall out completely from your everyday Indians because they can be of very different thinking due to their family backgrounds of good education, exposure, Christianity and Portuguese history. Many of them hold the English language as their first language and many do not speak Malayalam or any Indian dialect. Many fall in the category of "lain-lain" & Not Indian (just like the Punjabis).
Take Note that historically, Kerala was an Independent Country with Her Respected Monarchy & The Portuguese made their strong presence in Kerala (Cochin as Base), Macau, Goa, Malacca & Penang. This is the history behind Malayalees holding Portuguese Surnames. Take note also that they do not get any help from the Malaysian government because they have never been in MIC and MIC never recognised them as Indians & many of these Malayalees do not recognize themselves as Indians too. But rest assure, this segment of Malayalees do not need Malaysian Government Aid.
However, The Tamils make the majority of Indians in Malaysia & naturally contribute to the bigger Indian problems which i've already mentioned above.
Now, what can the Malaysian government( BN or PKR) do for the Tamils? let me remind you that this is no easy task and close to impossibility because this segment of Tamils come from a harsh history to begin with. The Tamils in major towns do not fall under this category, they are the once who have broken their chain of history and yes there are professionals amongst them. It's these rural Tamils that are in dire need of financial aid, proper homes, education and a reasonable or livable salary. The Malayalees & Ceylonese mostly do not need and do not look forward to Government Aid, They can stand pretty well on their own two feet.
(NST) KUALA LUMPUR: Local Indian politicians have been offered a platform by the Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) to share their views, dreams and hopes for the Indian community.
Miba will organise the national forum entitled "Future of Malaysian Indians -- Towards the 13th General Election" on Sunday.The forum, to be held at Menara PKNS in Petaling Jaya, will see politicians from both sides of the divide take to the rostrum and open up to Malaysian Indian voters about election promises made and how they are being fulfilled.
Miba president P. Sivakumar said the 12th general election had seen an erosion in Indian support for Barisan Nasional.
"But after 16 by-elections, there is some indication of the community's return to BN because of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's leadership style and inclusive approach."The battle for the Indian vote is at hand and this forum seeks to provide an opportunity for an intellectual discussion to determine the current status of events."
He said the forum also represented a meeting of the minds and hoped all parties would use the platform to debate their views, challenges, hurdles and future possibilities."This is the time for stock taking, to compare what was promised with what was delivered. Between what was part of the election manifesto in 2008 and the track record in terms of delivery and public confidence."We acknowledge that the Indian community is a diverse political community and believe all political parties are committed to the advancement of the community's socio-economic development as Malaysians."
He said there was a need for political leadership, which could inspire the community to overcome obstacles and use the opportunities available for the common good of all Malaysians."We hope that this forum will provide an opportunity for a mature discussion. "The presentations by speakers and interventions of participants will be documented in a book to be published before the 13th general election."Sivakumar said prominent Indian political leaders, activists, academicians and non-governmental organisations leaders had been invited as speakers at the forum.
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