Funds set aside for Tamil schools by the Penang and Selangor governments have convinced the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) that the strong support it lent to Pakatan Rakyat during the last general election was not in vain.

rs thanenthiran "It proves that Hindraf’s campaign urging people to vote for a change was a correct decision. At least Pakatan governments have demonstrated that they care for Tamil schools, unlike the previous state Barisan Nasional administrations," Hindraf national co-ordinator RS Thanenthiran told Malaysiakini yesterday.

"Pakatan has fulfilled its electoral pledge to provide financial assistance, irrespective of race and religion."

The movement’s vociferous campaign for change was the main reason Indian voters who were pro-BN had switched en bloc to the Pakatan coalition in the March general election.

Under its 2009 budget , Penang’s Pakatan government set aside RM1.5 million as development funds to be disbursed to 28 Tamil schools in the state.

In the budget tabled at the state legislative assembly earlier this month by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, the state government also set aside RM4.5 million for 124 Chinese and missionary schools, RM1.5 million for 15 religious schools, and RM1 million for five private secondary schools.

gemencheh tamil school 230107 school2 The Selangor government, headed by Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, alocated RM4 million for Tamil schools in the state, besides setting aside RM6 million for Chinese schools.

"Our campaign to switch Indian support from BN to Pakatan was not a waste after all," said Thanenthiran, adding that the previous administrations had neglected Tamil schools in both states to the extent that they were left to "rot and meet a natural demise."

"It’s another example of the Umno-led government’s marginalisation of Indians," he said, referring to Hindraf’s 18-point memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last year.

The memorandum included a demand to the government to set aside yearly development funds for Tamil schools.

‘Wasteful populist projects’

Thanenthiran also chided the previous Penang government under Dr Koh Tsu Koon for spending RM225 million belonging to the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) on wasteful populist projects merely to fish for votes.

He also took Koh’s government to task for spending RM80 million in the construction of MPSP’s new headquarters in Bandar Baru Perda in Bukit Mertajam when the building could have been built for free by a developer on state land in Ampang Jajar.

He noted that the previous government could have allotted part of MPSP reserves for the development of Tamil schools and other cash-strapped capital-aided schools.

"MPSP money was wasted to invent populist projects to boost BN’s public ratings, but not on people-centric programmes as the previous government had claimed.

"Now ratepayers must suffer because MPSP coffers are empty ," said the Hindraf leader.

p ramasamy Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Ramasamy said the state allocation was being dispersed accordingly by a state-level Tamil school co-ordination committee overseen by him.

Previously, the state government had difficulties communicating with the Tamil schools due to federal political intervention, but Ramasamy said the relationship had vastly improved since the committee was formed.

"The committee would disburse the funds fairly and priority would be given to needy schools," he said, adding that land has also been earmarked for the construction of new buildings for Tamil schools, SRJK Azad, SRJK Batu Kawan and SJK Ladang Valdor.