Indians can change their destiny


Indians Can Change Their Destiny
by Richard Teo

I fail to agree with Samy Vellu’s assertion that the 3% equity for the Indians had been on the national agenda for a long time and that nothing had been planned and implemented for the community. The failure to reach that equity level lies not wholly with the govt but with the MIC leader which Samy leads.

The dilemma facing the marginalised Indian community will continue as long as they are led by the current MIC leaders. For 25 years the Indian community have been led by these leaders and in many ways the trust bestowed on them have been repeatedly betrayed.

The pitiful and marginalised position the Indian community are enduring would not have occurred had their leaders placed community above self, service and sacrifice above greed.

Partly to blame for this current dilemma are the Indian community generally and the MIC members specifically. Like the proverbial sheep been led to the slaughter house, they had faithfully placed their trust to these same leaders who had deemed fit to plunder the wealth meant for the poor and destitute in the Indian community.

During Dr. Mahathir’s reign, a man not known for his generosity, a few million Tenaga Nasional Bhd newly public-listed shares were allocated to Maika, the investment arm of MIC. The shares ostensibly for Maika would indirectly benefit the many rural Indians in estates and other low category jobs if equity in the form of unit trust shares were taken up by the community.

MIC members went on a frantic campaign to encourage the poor Indians from the rural areas to invest in Maika for a slice of the economic cake. It was like manna from heaven and the poor uneducated Indians got the bait together with the hook line and sinker.

They ploughed their hard-earned savings meant for their children’s education in Maika shares with a promise of a return many-fold their original investment.

The TNB shares never reached Maika. Somewhere along the way to Maika the TNB shares were hijacked to another entity.

Subsequently, Maika shares went into a tail-spin and wiped off millions from its value. The hard-earned savings of thousand of poor Indian investors were left clinging to the valueless Maika shares.

The extent and untold hardship and misery this episode had on the Indian community can never be measured in monetary terms. In many poor Indian households, the dreams and aspirations of young ambitious children were destroyed forever.

Today, we see jobless, uneducated Indians whose only option is to turn to a life of crime in order to survive. The govt. has not opened its door in the civil service for them and the private sector will continue to remain elusive for the unqualified.

The plight and fate of the Indian community will continue to remain bleak and diminish if it places its faith in the same MIC leaders which had hoodwinked them for the last 20 years.

They have no one else to blame but themselves if they persists in choosing the same faces in the MIC leadership which have brought them nothing but despair and despondency.

Through the present MIC leadership, the Indians are now a marginalised community. Only the Indian community can make a change for the better, failing which they will have to endure another 20 years of destitution.

  1. #1 by Godamn Singh on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 7:04 am

    Goddamn it!

    I think we should elect Richard Teo for the office of president of MIC. What do you guys think?

  2. #2 by good coolie on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 8:06 am

    Richard Teo is right. We have not had capable, honest, and selfless leaders in the Indian community. We have fallen into the pit
    because our leaders have come up with stupid economic ventures.
    We Indians are not united as a community, unlike the Chinese, and, to a lesser extent, the Malays.

  3. #3 by nicktay on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 8:37 am

    The MIC leaders have sold their generations future for limited prosperity. Unless the MIC revamps itself, the future of the Indians in Malaysia is bleak

  4. #4 by kelangman88 on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 9:11 am

    It seems Indian community leader is hehehe…. Just look at the IPF:
    Financial turmoil rocks Pandithan’s IPF
    K Kabilan
    May 7, 07 1:04pm

    Accusations of financial irregularities have surfaced in the Indian Progressive Front (IPF) party, with fingers being pointed at cancer-stricken president MG Pandithan.

    And of course Maika which a lot of people know about it but did nothing.

    No wonder Indian community cannot excel.

  5. #5 by JACK THE RIPPER on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 10:35 am

    Indian must wake up!!!
    For all Indian, if u dont helps yourself no one will.

    Their name sake MIC LeaderS are the most rotten among all rulling parties in Malaysia.

    Vote DAP & PKR for a change of entire Indian race fortune,well being & destiny.
    Msg from a Patriot.

  6. #6 by k1980 on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 10:52 am

    The Indian Congress Party is headed by an Italian, while the President of the Republic is a Muslim

  7. #7 by Tai Lo Chin on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 10:55 am

    Richard Teo is a Chinese. Chinese are also marginalised, though perhaps not as extensively as Indians. As Indians are marginalsied by MIC, in the sense he attributes it, so Chinese are marginalised by MCA. I say we vote Richard Teo for the office of president of MCA. MIC? Maybe P Uthaya Kumar if he would cross over from Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia.

  8. #8 by raven77 on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 10:59 am

    Its education, education, education….and the current MIC leaders had made certain that Indians in this country remain in their ghettos. There is no Gandhi or Vallabhai Patel to save them here, there are only more MGRs and Jayalalithas…..the Indians would have been better off with Khalid Ibrahim…maybe his election manifesto of innovative microbuisness plans may have benefited them and Ijok could have been the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for this unfortunate people who appear to be destined to be born as coolies, live as coolies and die as coolies. Teo is right….they must help themselves first…

  9. #9 by Libra2 on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 11:45 am

    Tai Lo Chin said, “Chinese are also marginalised,”

    Yes, but the Chinese are a very special and hardy race. They are survivors and can eke out a living in any condition. They have the wherewithal to surpass the Malays with their NEP. That’s why this community is not so bothered about the NEP.
    As for the Indians, especially the middle and low income group with moderate or little education – they are gullible, ignorant and naive. That’s why the likes of Pandithan and Samy Vellu can lead them, cheat them and yet be hero-worshipped by them.
    Remember when Pandithan was appointed senator and made a Datuk , the estate workers raised funds to buy a Mercedes for him!!
    Pathetic!

  10. #10 by Loh on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 11:48 am

    The non-Muslim Indians are having problems as Indian muslims will sooner or later be known as Malays. That is not true about Chinese muslims.

    The Indians would have a capable leader in TDM, if article 160 (2) had not defined Malay base principally on religion. One wonders what would have happened to the Indian community had Samy Vellu been converted to Muslim and became a Malay.

  11. #11 by dawsheng on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 2:20 pm

    Malay can change their destiny too, but not at the expense of others. Malay can be just as anyone who is capable of doing great things, making valuable contributions to society and humanity. Malay can be respected if Malay can be fair, and if there are truly muslims who shows compassion towards others . Now Indian have to change their destiny, so will the Chinese. Our destiny is a Malaysian Malaysia for all but will the Malay change theirs so we have a common destiny?

  12. #12 by somaris on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 4:13 pm

    All Indian Of MALAYSIAN.
    U have to pass the words to all indian in malaysia to wake up now or else its going to be to late in the future of our GENERATION.
    Leave MIC and join DAP-PKR. come this EC. vote DAP-PKR.
    I do my part to inform my family and friends to vote for DAP-PKR.
    NO MORE BN UMNO.WE ARE ALL MALAYSIAN FOR MALAYSIA.
    TIME AS COME TO BE ONE FOR ALL.
    GOD BLESS MALAYSIA.

  13. #13 by tzarina on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 4:17 pm

    MIC men can’t find the time for the Indian community, coz they are too busy [deleted] So are you surprised that they simply do not have the time and energy to do their jobs? It seems, they have better things to do….

  14. #14 by firehawk on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 7:53 pm

    Thanks for spelling and putting it in black and white Richard!

    Obviously many ppl still need to be told! It sickens me to even think about the way indians are enslaved by unfair and discriminatory policies. Also ignorant attitude of indians perpetuates this lose-lose situation.

  15. #15 by firehawk on Wednesday, 9 May 2007 - 7:56 pm

    Forget about MIC. Ppl need to realise that MIC is built on corrupt and inefficient foundations. A new party needs to be built on principles that will transcend time or another more credible party strengthened. If ppl still talk about MIC improving bla bla bla, nothing will ever change!

  16. #16 by lakshy on Thursday, 10 May 2007 - 5:11 am

    With MIC’s current leadership, there is no better candidate to lead it than semi value. No one else has the ability that this guy has. Sure, just like his umno masters, he takes the meat and throws the crumbs to the community. Thats what he is there for. Malaysia does not have politicians who are there to serve the rakyat.

    Our present breed of leaders are all there to serve their own interests first. And the indian and other communities have played a major role in this by electing them back into power each and everytime.

    The indians do not form a majority in any constituency, so dont blame the indians entirely for the status quo. We need the cooperation of the malays and chinese to vote these crooks out of office.

    But in spite of MIC, many indians have done well on their own. They have learned skills and started from scratch. It is these businesses and Indians that will remain solid and standing during difficult times. You have doctors, engineers, lawyers, technicians, teachers, businessmen etc who have made it on their own. Syabas to them. Many of them have on their own tried to help their own community.

    Lets be realistic, the chinese community also is very discriminative. Most businesses here that are controlled by chinese hardly employ malays and indians. Even if they do, it will be as drivers, guards, receptionists, cleaners etc. So indians face discrimination from govt jobs as well as from private sector. And if you are an indian woman, it is even more difficult to get a job!

  17. #17 by accountability on Thursday, 10 May 2007 - 5:49 am

    lakshy, no racism against chinese please, just because you have low self-esteem by labelling yourself an indian woman.

    malaysia has 20% chinese and around 10% indian, so of course you’ll see more chinese than indians in a company based on a level-playing field when hiring.
    (i exclude bumiputeras because companies are forced to hire them)

    if someone does not want to be drivers, guards, cleaners, etc, it is their choice to work/study hard to be something/someone else – don’t use racism as an excuse!

  18. #18 by pamelaoda on Thursday, 10 May 2007 - 8:39 am

    agreed with accountability. I admired indians as they are very linguistic, very good in medical field, IT, Research, good lawyers. Big MNCs and IT firms around the world head hunt Indians for certain jobs! The problem is u r not given a chance in malaysia!

  19. #19 by k1980 on Thursday, 10 May 2007 - 11:57 am

    “The problem is u r not given a chance in malaysia!” Have you ever seen Indian secondary school students in the estate schools? Every chance given to them to study, but most of them are ill-disciplined, lazy and anti-estabishment. They believe that the world owes them a living

  20. #20 by Jimm on Thursday, 10 May 2007 - 12:42 pm

    Don’t say that they (Malaysian Indians) are not given the chance. Their leader don’t dare to seek for any. There are enough self interest agendas dwelling in their own society. Theie local communion leaders are benefitting the most each time that certain ‘request’ are finally being ‘approved’. We are talking’ about doubled shortchanged here. One by the BN coalition government and then, the worst of all by those that they entrusted for.

  21. #21 by Jimm on Thursday, 10 May 2007 - 12:48 pm

    They can never ask for anything as that’s as far as what the BN coalition Gvt concern. JJ spilled the ‘hidden’ secret out recently. They are brought up in such a low self esteem environment with no drives to improved them status. Please visit any of those estates in Malaysia. You will be surprise. The education system and support are so limited. A few estates may enjoy a slightly ‘better’ advantage because their local leaders are more careful and smart when asking for SV support/

  22. #22 by Jimm on Thursday, 10 May 2007 - 12:51 pm

    In the big ocean, there are many types of fish.
    Some of them are meant to be food for others.
    Here, in mankind environment, some are meant to serve their master only. A very negative element to share here , however, it’s does carries sufficient truthfulness.

  23. #23 by Orangutan on Sunday, 13 May 2007 - 12:04 pm

    I have been a regular business traveller to India and I have witnessed tremendous improvement of wealth and standards of living for the Indians over there. Sad to say that, although poverty is still a problem there (same as in Malaysia), many of them are living better off and earning much more than their brothers and sisters in Malaysia.

    The economic opportunities are abundant and standards of living are increasing at breakneck speed in India. I will not be suprised to see a reverse migration of Indian Malaysian back to India in the near future. The fact is MIC has not done enough to help the poor Indian Malaysian in all aspects of their live?

  24. #24 by jackrusso on Friday, 7 September 2007 - 4:42 pm

    What do English speaking, educated, refined, well-established, well to do Indians have in common?

    They or their parents are not members of MIC and never attended Tamil schools.

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