Small and weak, Indians unable to influence decisions
Claudia TheophilusPublished: Dec 9, 2004 3:33 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
A group of grassroots Indian Malaysian leaders have refuted the findings of Yayasan Strategik Sosial, the MIC's social research wing, that attitudinal traits is why the community is lagging far behind the Malays and Chinese Malaysians.
A group of grassroots Indian Malaysian leaders have refuted the findings of Yayasan Strategik Sosial, the MIC's social research wing, that attitudinal traits is why the community is lagging far behind the Malays and Chinese Malaysians.
Researcher and social activist S Nagarajan, who just completed his doctoral thesis on the country's displaced Tamils, attributed the main problem to political marginalisation by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
"Being small in number and economically weak, the Indians are unable to influence the decision-making process to effect any structural changes, further compounded by an inefficient and problematic Indian political leadership," he said when contacted.
"The other problem is that Indians face ethnic discrimination in employment and promotional opportunities in both the private and public sectors."
The Mid-Term Review of the Eight Malaysia Plan 2001-2005 recorded Indian Malaysians earning a mean monthly gross household income of RM3,044 in 2002, marginally higher than the national average of RM3,011.
Bumiputeras were recorded earning RM2,376, Chinese Malaysians RM4,279 and others RM2,165.
Nagarajan said the review also recorded 36.2 percent of Indians employed in elementary occupations in 2003, such as street vendors, domestic helpers, cleaners and menial labourers, machine operators and drivers.
About 23.9 percent of bumiputeras and 18.7 percent Chinese worked in the same category.
In lower end jobs
"The question is why such a high percentage of Indians are employed in the lower end jobs? Many of them hold two or more jobs and work longer hours of between 12 and 16 hours daily," he said.
Recently, the YSS stated in a closed-door discourse paper that 30 percent Indians in the country were caught in the poverty cycle due to an ineffective policy implementation and public service delivery system, and their "fatalistic attitude".
Nagarajan said a more realistic estimate would be five percent comprising those unable to cope with progress or of being socially-alienated.
"But they are actively trying to overcome these problems despite the odds stacked up high against them, mainly the of opportunities such merit-based award of contracts and promotional opportunities."
Then there is the larger problems caused by state policies which was of a more historical and colonial nature, he added.
"The Indians were brought here by the British to work the rubber plantations whereas the Chinese had come on their own. It's easier to tell people to get out of the plantations but how do they actually get out?
"Attitude is the by-product of the historical political, economic and social systems and a very popular Indian middle-class argument. Just because a sizeable number work in the low-income bracket, doesn't mean they are all criminals."
Begging must stop
Nagarajan, who is a member of the Malaysian Tamil Development, Education and Research Foundation, said the YSS findings were "questionable" and should be released for public scrutiny.
He said the YSS has firmly turned down repeated requests for copies of previous studies despite several visits to the office at the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
On claims that Indian Malaysians lacked the initiative to improve their lot, he cited his research of a plantation in Bangi where retrenched workers had managed to work an idle rubber smallholding and are earning good money following a hike in rubber prices.
Lawyer and social activist SP Pathi attributed the problems afflicting the community to the "structural defects in the thinking of the community's leadership".
"The thinking of Indian community leaders must change and the begging must stop," he said.
"Why should the MIC beg the Mara educational agency for vacancies? It should be as of right, if the government is seriously concerned about the Indians.
"As a citizen of this country, I should be protected and I have my rights. I'm not trying to take away anything from anyone else. What is due to the Indians should be returned. The government return what is due to me."
Pathi said to the government, the Indians were irrelevant except for the few who have benefitted from the policies.
"Most have been so marginalised that they have become totally irrelevant. Take the conversion of capital-aided Tamil schools as an example. More than half of them are located on land that belong to government-linked companies," he said.
Drug dealers and pushers
He regretted the fact that the government thought of the MIC as the community spokesperson when "very little has changed" over the years.
Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) member Charles Santiago refuted claims that Indian Malaysians were marginalised due to their captive mindset.
"It implies that Indians don't have a developmental mindset, which is not true."
"For example, they are benefitting in the small-medium-scale transportation business, an area previously monopolised by the Chinese Malaysians who have slowly moved away when the business became less profitable to them."
Similarly, he said Indians have also turned into drug dealers and pushers to fill in the vacuum left behind by the Chinese.
"The YSS is clearly trying hard to couch whatever economic development achieved by the Indians as due to the BN's macro policies.
"But these very same policies have neglected dilapidated Tamil schools, led to high unemployment among Indian youths and a growing number of single mothers," he said, dismissing claims that the bottom rung of the community is where the major problems are as "a gross exaggeration".
Charles suggested that the YSS debate the methodology and conclusions of its studies with other Indian-based groups in the country.
"The GCC would gladly organise a public forum where Indian-based groups and leaders, including those from the MIC, can scrutinise the findings.
Not sound judgment
"The major problem is the government's discriminatory policies affecting plantations workers, university entrance and contracts. To say that the bottom 30 percent is poor is not exactly based on sound judgment."
He said the GCC firmly disputes official government statistics on the Indian Malaysian community.
He said the YSS should be addressing discriminatory policies instead of "trying to apply band-aid for a cancer-like problem".
"The problem is not implementation or the delivery system but the will of the government in failing to respond to the needs of the minority communities, including other ethnic groups."
Blaming the government's racial profiling, Charles said people are not born with a captive mindset or low self-esteem.
"Our personal or family values and work culture is formed partly through socialisation and as a product of the environment such as schools," he explained.
The MIC, he said, should partly shoulder the blame for condoning the racial profiling forced by the government upon the people.
Researcher and social activist S Nagarajan, who just completed his doctoral thesis on the country's displaced Tamils, attributed the main problem to political marginalisation by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
"Being small in number and economically weak, the Indians are unable to influence the decision-making process to effect any structural changes, further compounded by an inefficient and problematic Indian political leadership," he said when contacted.
"The other problem is that Indians face ethnic discrimination in employment and promotional opportunities in both the private and public sectors."
The Mid-Term Review of the Eight Malaysia Plan 2001-2005 recorded Indian Malaysians earning a mean monthly gross household income of RM3,044 in 2002, marginally higher than the national average of RM3,011. Bumiputeras were recorded earning RM2,376, Chinese Malaysians RM4,279 and others RM2,165.
Nagarajan said the review also recorded 36.2 percent of Indians employed in elementary occupations in 2003, such as street vendors, domestic helpers, cleaners and menial labourers, machine operators and drivers.
About 23.9 percent of bumiputeras and 18.7 percent Chinese worked in the same category.
In lower end jobs
"The question is why such a high percentage of Indians are employed in the lower end jobs? Many of them hold two or more jobs and work longer hours of between 12 and 16 hours daily," he said.
Recently, the YSS stated in a closed-door discourse paper that 30 percent Indians in the country were caught in the poverty cycle due to an ineffective policy implementation and public service delivery system, and their "fatalistic attitude".Nagarajan said a more realistic estimate would be five percent comprising those unable to cope with progress or of being socially-alienated.
"But they are actively trying to overcome these problems despite the odds stacked up high against them, mainly the of opportunities such merit-based award of contracts and promotional opportunities."
Then there is the larger problems caused by state policies which was of a more historical and colonial nature, he added.
"The Indians were brought here by the British to work the rubber plantations whereas the Chinese had come on their own. It's easier to tell people to get out of the plantations but how do they actually get out?
"Attitude is the by-product of the historical political, economic and social systems and a very popular Indian middle-class argument. Just because a sizeable number work in the low-income bracket, doesn't mean they are all criminals."
Begging must stop
Nagarajan, who is a member of the Malaysian Tamil Development, Education and Research Foundation, said the YSS findings were "questionable" and should be released for public scrutiny.
He said the YSS has firmly turned down repeated requests for copies of previous studies despite several visits to the office at the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
On claims that Indian Malaysians lacked the initiative to improve their lot, he cited his research of a plantation in Bangi where retrenched workers had managed to work an idle rubber smallholding and are earning good money following a hike in rubber prices.
Lawyer and social activist SP Pathi attributed the problems afflicting the community to the "structural defects in the thinking of the community's leadership". "The thinking of Indian community leaders must change and the begging must stop," he said.
"Why should the MIC beg the Mara educational agency for vacancies? It should be as of right, if the government is seriously concerned about the Indians.
"As a citizen of this country, I should be protected and I have my rights. I'm not trying to take away anything from anyone else. What is due to the Indians should be returned. The government return what is due to me."
Pathi said to the government, the Indians were irrelevant except for the few who have benefitted from the policies.
"Most have been so marginalised that they have become totally irrelevant. Take the conversion of capital-aided Tamil schools as an example. More than half of them are located on land that belong to government-linked companies," he said.
Drug dealers and pushers
He regretted the fact that the government thought of the MIC as the community spokesperson when "very little has changed" over the years.
Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) member Charles Santiago refuted claims that Indian Malaysians were marginalised due to their captive mindset.
"It implies that Indians don't have a developmental mindset, which is not true."
"For example, they are benefitting in the small-medium-scale transportation business, an area previously monopolised by the Chinese Malaysians who have slowly moved away when the business became less profitable to them."
Similarly, he said Indians have also turned into drug dealers and pushers to fill in the vacuum left behind by the Chinese.
"The YSS is clearly trying hard to couch whatever economic development achieved by the Indians as due to the BN's macro policies.
"But these very same policies have neglected dilapidated Tamil schools, led to high unemployment among Indian youths and a growing number of single mothers," he said, dismissing claims that the bottom rung of the community is where the major problems are as "a gross exaggeration".
Charles suggested that the YSS debate the methodology and conclusions of its studies with other Indian-based groups in the country. "The GCC would gladly organise a public forum where Indian-based groups and leaders, including those from the MIC, can scrutinise the findings.
Not sound judgment
"The major problem is the government's discriminatory policies affecting plantations workers, university entrance and contracts. To say that the bottom 30 percent is poor is not exactly based on sound judgment."
He said the GCC firmly disputes official government statistics on the Indian Malaysian community.
He said the YSS should be addressing discriminatory policies instead of "trying to apply band-aid for a cancer-like problem".
"The problem is not implementation or the delivery system but the will of the government in failing to respond to the needs of the minority communities, including other ethnic groups."
Blaming the government's racial profiling, Charles said people are not born with a captive mindset or low self-esteem.
"Our personal or family values and work culture is formed partly through socialisation and as a product of the environment such as schools," he explained.
The MIC, he said, should partly shoulder the blame for condoning the racial profiling forced by the government upon the people.
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