Indian business group severs ties with Indian chambers
Published: Feb 12, 2009 5:05 AM | Updated: Feb 12, 2009 5:11 AM
The Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) has decided to 'sever' all working ties with the Malaysian Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Maicci) with immediate effect.
The Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) has decided to 'sever' all working ties with the Malaysian Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Maicci) with immediate effect.
Miba president P Sivakumar said this was in protest over the 'controversial' remarks made by Maici president KK Eswaran regarding the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).
"His outburst and unwarranted remarks have hurt the feelings of Indian businessmen across the country and Miba members have demanded this move," he added.
According to Sivakumar, Miba had a good working relationship with Maicci during the tenure of the immediate past president Pradip Kumar.
"However nothing much has come of lately with Maicci on any joint programmes for the benefit of Indian businesses," he said.
Maicci has come under a lot of heat following Eswaran's public attack on Hindraf's self-exiled leader P Waythamoorthy.
Among others, he had blasted Waythamoorthy for being ungrateful to the land he calls home and the land that he has made his living.
Eswaran was referring to Waythamoorthy's stint in India during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Chennai, where the Hindraf leader had declared that Malaysian Indians are ill-treated and marginalised.
Claiming to be speaking in the interest of the Indian community, Eswaran had also said that the public must stop thinking that the government should "spoon-feed" Indians with opportunities and embark on their own efforts to improve their wealth.
Following this, three Maicci office bearers, secretary-general S Rengasamy, assistant-secretary Suresh Kumar Gorasia and treasurer S Tamil Selvam, were said to have resigned in protest.
Hindraf rally was 'something else'
Meanwhile, Sivakumar said Miba has always remained apolitical and does not support any quarter tarnishing the image of the country elsewhere.
However, he described the Nov 27 Hindraf rally in Kuala Lumpur as 'something else'.
"It was not meant to tarnish the image of the nation but a pressured and frustrated move, more of a wake up call demanding that certain rights of the Indian community be bestowed.
"Only after the demonstration did the government come out with some corrective measures that are slowly being implemented to uplift the Indian community," he said.
"The prime minister and deputy prime minister have both pledged to do more for the Indians, one such recent effort was the setting up of the select committee to address Indian grievances.
"The government must realise that the Indians, especially the poor, want more than pledges of treating them fairly," he added.
Miba president P Sivakumar said this was in protest over the 'controversial' remarks made by Maici president KK Eswaran regarding the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). "His outburst and unwarranted remarks have hurt the feelings of Indian businessmen across the country and Miba members have demanded this move," he added.
According to Sivakumar, Miba had a good working relationship with Maicci during the tenure of the immediate past president Pradip Kumar.
"However nothing much has come of lately with Maicci on any joint programmes for the benefit of Indian businesses," he said.
Maicci has come under a lot of heat following Eswaran's public attack on Hindraf's self-exiled leader P Waythamoorthy.Among others, he had blasted Waythamoorthy for being ungrateful to the land he calls home and the land that he has made his living.
Eswaran was referring to Waythamoorthy's stint in India during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Chennai, where the Hindraf leader had declared that Malaysian Indians are ill-treated and marginalised.
Claiming to be speaking in the interest of the Indian community, Eswaran had also said that the public must stop thinking that the government should "spoon-feed" Indians with opportunities and embark on their own efforts to improve their wealth.
Following this, three Maicci office bearers, secretary-general S Rengasamy, assistant-secretary Suresh Kumar Gorasia and treasurer S Tamil Selvam, were said to have resigned in protest.
Hindraf rally was 'something else'
Meanwhile, Sivakumar said Miba has always remained apolitical and does not support any quarter tarnishing the image of the country elsewhere.
However, he described the Nov 27 Hindraf rally in Kuala Lumpur as 'something else'."It was not meant to tarnish the image of the nation but a pressured and frustrated move, more of a wake up call demanding that certain rights of the Indian community be bestowed.
"Only after the demonstration did the government come out with some corrective measures that are slowly being implemented to uplift the Indian community," he said.
"The prime minister and deputy prime minister have both pledged to do more for the Indians, one such recent effort was the setting up of the select committee to address Indian grievances.
"The government must realise that the Indians, especially the poor, want more than pledges of treating them fairly," he added.
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