The expulsion of an MIC branch vice-chairperson recently shows that the party leadership is victimising members who speak out about their communitys socio-economic problems and sufferings, said a DAP state leader today.

Selangor DAP committee member T Kannan said that by expelling Ayan Perumal, the senior party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition was sending out the message that it was not interested in the plight of the Indian Malaysian or their welfare.

Kannan said Ayan was being punished for seeking the assistance of the ethnic Indian leaders in Selangor DAP with regard to problems of residents in the Nigel Gardner and neighbouring estates in Batang Berjuntai, Selangor.

To expel such a person is a betrayal and disservice to the downtrodden and helpless estate community, he said in a statement.

According to Kannan, Ayan had sought the opposition partys help in the payment of bus fare subsidy for 50 secondary school students and sponsorship of school stationery for 122 students.

Ayan also needed help with the annual school fees for 122 primary school children, which have been outstanding since 1998.

Water supply cut

Kannan added that apart from being expelled, the water supply to Ayans house was cut off by the estate management where he lives and his daughter who worked in the estate was told not to turn up anymore.

He may have to move out of the estate. This is the price a concerned member of a helpless community has to pay for speaking up about their problems, said Kannan.

In The Star today, Ayan was reported to have said, Not once did I call on MIC members to join the opposition parties... All I did was to bring the problems of the estate people to the opposition parties. When [my] own party is keeping quiet, what other options do I have? Do they want me to close one eye and let the people suffer?

According to Ayan, efforts to highlight the plight of the estate workers to Hulu Selangor MP G Palanivel, who is also an MIC vice-president, have been in vain, and only yearly allocations for temple activities were given.

The daily also quoted MIC secretary-general S Sothinathan as saying that Ayan was expelled as consequences of his actions.

In MIC, we dont tolerate this kind of thing, said Sothinathan, who is also the parliamentary secretary for the Health Ministry.