The answer given to a query in Parliament recently on allocations to uplift under-privileged Indian Malaysians sums up the position of the community in this country. Apparently, there is no specific allocation made in the Ninth Malaysian Plan - probably because nobody thought that it was a matter of any importance.
Only when speaking to the Indian Malaysians exclusively at some functions do the national level 'leaders' say that 'the government will do its part to help uplift the plight of the community, as this government is for all the citizens, and cares for even the minorities like you.'
And the audience will be extremely happy and give a standing ovation to these 'leaders'. The media will highlight these stories and the vernacular media will ensure that such news make prominent headlines. After that, these media will not dare remind those 'leaders' of such promises.
On the other hand, when the work on a new five-year plan begins, no one bothers about such a promise as no one reminds any of the 'planners' about the existence of this community, or its problems. Yet when it comes to the various statistics - performance at the primary, secondary or tertiary level, the crime rate, equity share, etc - the plight of the Indian Malaysian community will be highlighted time and again by the various agencies and NGOs. How our national planners can be so blind to these realities defies any logic.
As long as Indian Malaysians are viewed as ignorant and gullible - and who can be easily coaxed to vote for the ruling coalition with some allocations for temples, some screening some new Tamil movies through the state-run TV channels when the elections are near, and 'leaders' attending cultural-based functions such as Deepavali or Ponggal - their lot is not going to change.
For every small need, the community has to virtually beg and rely on the magnanimity of the individual 'leader' - not on the normal government machinery.
I am not at all surprised that the question in Parliament about an allocation for Indian Malaysians came from an MIC parliamentarian and was answered by a minister from the very same ruling coalition of which the MIC is a partner. Of course, the MIC, which claims to be the sole representative of Indian Malaysians in the government, will not take a moral responsibility for this debacle and apologise to the community, or pull out of the coalition.
It is never its style of leadership because MIC leaders know how to 'handle' the community during the various elections - be it the national elections or party elections. As for the national leadership, especially to the ruling Umno leadership, it is clear that this community and its plight are totally invisible.
More than a decade ago, a foreign journal had mentioned that the Indian Malaysians are 'the forgotten community' of this nation. As far as the Ninth Malaysian Plan, it is indeed the forgotten community. But the disturbing fact seems to be that it is planned to be forgotten.
