Malaysia to set up hotline for ethnic Indians
Malaysian government plans to set up a hotline to register complaints from ethnic Indians.
By Agencies |
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian government plans to set up a hotline to register complaints from ethnic Indians, who staged the largest-ever demonstration here last week to protest alleged marginalisation.
The hotline will be connected to the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), an ethnic Indian party in ruling coalition, S Samy Vellu, works minister and MIC president, said on Monday. H
e said it will help register public grievances and problems such as those involving temples and Tamil schools, Vellu said. He on Thursday met Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who also asked his party to form a special committee to prepare a complete report on demands by the community as a follow-up to the MIC’s proposals in June.
The Prime Minister said the committee should put in new proposals including data on non-Malayas in the public sector, posts and vacancies at the federal, state and local authority-level, and giving priority to recruiting them in areas where they have high population concentration, Vellu was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency. Some 10,000 ethnic Indians took part in a rally here on last Sunday on a call by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), a non-governmental group.
They wanted to march to British High Commission and hand over a memorandum complaining of marginalisation of Indians from the time their ancestors were bought to the then Malaya as indentured labourers. Police used tear gas and water cannons to break up the protest and detained scores of people. Indians form 8% of Malaysia’s population of 27 million.
They allege discrimination by an affirmative action policy which they say favours Malays in jobs in government departments and businesses.
Government says there were equal opportunities for everyone.
The hotline will be connected to the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), an ethnic Indian party in ruling coalition, S Samy Vellu, works minister and MIC president, said on Monday. H
e said it will help register public grievances and problems such as those involving temples and Tamil schools, Vellu said. He on Thursday met Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who also asked his party to form a special committee to prepare a complete report on demands by the community as a follow-up to the MIC’s proposals in June.
The Prime Minister said the committee should put in new proposals including data on non-Malayas in the public sector, posts and vacancies at the federal, state and local authority-level, and giving priority to recruiting them in areas where they have high population concentration, Vellu was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency. Some 10,000 ethnic Indians took part in a rally here on last Sunday on a call by the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF), a non-governmental group.
They wanted to march to British High Commission and hand over a memorandum complaining of marginalisation of Indians from the time their ancestors were bought to the then Malaya as indentured labourers. Police used tear gas and water cannons to break up the protest and detained scores of people. Indians form 8% of Malaysia’s population of 27 million.
They allege discrimination by an affirmative action policy which they say favours Malays in jobs in government departments and businesses.
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Government says there were equal opportunities for everyone.
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