Digest on Malaysian News

Yayasan Strategic Social (YSS), run by MIC has made some inroad helping weak and problematic Indian students. Hopefully, YSS continue with their effort and expand their programme to guide and monitor the progress of those students and turn them into better Malaysian.

From NST

MIC's success with weak students

By R. Sittamparamnews@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: An MIC effort to help academically-weak and problematic Indian secondary students has paid off.

The MIC-run Yayasan Strategic Social's family development unit head K.A. Gunah said the party's Plus-8 programme had proven to be a resounding success by helping 5,100 students in 74 secondary schools.

He said thanks to the year-long programme which ended in July, these students had a better future now and did not need to go the way of some other children from the community who could not escape the clutches of social ills such as crime.

He said the key to the programme's success was in its ability to bring children and parents together to work as a family unit and motivate the children to improve themselves.

"Besides ironing out students' problems, which were mainly centred around poor parent-child relationships, the programme has put in place an effective network for the students, their teachers and YSS."

Funded by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and supported by the Education Ministry, the programme featured workshops on character building, human values and uncovering of skills for students.

"We then hold two workshops for parents on the subject of parent-child interaction and relationships and the need for self-discipline and sacrifice. The programme ends with a two-day, one-night camp for the students and their parents.

"We are now keying in the student data and feedback on the programme to prepare a report for the two ministries. With this done, we hope to launch the second round of Plus-8 programmes."

Gunah, who is the coordinator for the programme in Johor and Malacca, said YSS ran them jointly with Indian-based NGOs.

YSS got the help of teachers to identify target groups of 50 students in schools in eight states to attend a total of 812 Plus-8 programmes.

He said the programme was the brainchild of party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who felt that rising social ills among Indian youth had to be nipped in the bud by solving the problem of delinquency.

During the programme, Gunah said he came across sad cases of how students had got into trouble because of parental neglect.

"A boy who had been punished 22 times in 10 months for disciplinary problems, including bringing pornographic VCDs to school, told us his father had left the family.

"His mother was away at work until late at night and he had to fend for himself, including cooking and washing his own clothes."

He said the girls were often led astray by youths or men outside the school environment.

"Most of them point to nagging mothers and absent fathers and the fact that there was no one to listen to them."

malaysia ~ If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

When Dr Mahathir Mohamad labeled his ex-Cabinet buddy Samy Velu as racist, Palanivel the deputy president of MIC is worry that the Indian community will shy away from Barisan Nasional.

The issue is between ex-buddy Dr Mahathir and Samy. Not between Dr Mahathir and the Indian community. Furthermore, both characters are no longer in power and are no longer key players in Barisan Nasional movement.

Anyway, Palanivel and Samy should have look into the plight of the Indian community before the General Election or when they were still in power.

Palanivel should be busy enhancing the relationship between the current leaders of Barisan Nasional and the Indian community instead of being petty about Dr Mahathir Mohamad's personal view.







If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

Source: thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/20/nation/20080620154930&sec=nation

Dr M's words will drive Indians away from BN, says Palanivel

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel has urged former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad not to make statements that will further fan racial sentiments and hatred among the people.

He said Dr Mahathir should be honest in his opinions and statements, as people had become more politically aware.

“His most recent statement on Hindraf as Tamil racists will only further drive away Indian votes from the Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Rakyat.

“It is sad to note that the former PM is not aware of the fact that Hindraf includes many non-Tamil and even non-Hindu Indians. He is wrong to say that Hindraf leaders only represent Tamil racists,” he said.

Palanivel said besides remembering his own roots, the former PM should realise that PAS, PKR and DAP were all with Hindraf during the recent general election.

The former deputy Women Family and Community Development minister was commenting on Dr Mahathir’s remarks that MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was “racist”.

Palanivel said it appeared that the former PM had lost sight of the big picture in his continuous war against Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“What civil society wants today is more freedom to be heard. The people of all races believe that the ISA is proscriptive and hinders the process of democracy. To pick on any one race and say that it is racist, is simply causing mischief,” he said.

Palanivel said past leaders and those who had lost their positions were busy apportioning blame on why Barisan lost and in doing so were only confusing supporters and non-supporters.

“Using rhetoric to subtly cover their self-interest is not going to work because people have become more politically aware,” he added

Only now Samy Vellu realized that temple demolition is a cowardice act and the temple demolition has affected the result in the recent Malaysia General Election. Bear in mind that he was part of the system that approved the temple demolition.

Being the leader of the Indian community in Malaysia, he should have protest the demolition and protect the Indian's rights.



From the video clip above, the authority was demolishing the temple with armed Police and FRU guarding by. Samy Vellu was there as if he officiate the temple demolition. Mana tidak orang hot sama dia.


Nasi sudah jadi bubur. Let's just hope that there will be no more temples, churches, chapels and surau be forcefully demolished again.

Related posts:
* Samy Vellu where were you when the Indian cried
* HINDRAF outcasts Samy Vellu



If you like this informative post, please subscribe to my full RSS Feed

Extracted from: thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/18/nation/20987657&sec=nation (Apr 18, 2008)

Temple demolition blew up BN hopes, says Samy

KUALA LUMPUR: The demolition of Hindu temples was the “atom bomb that blew up” the Barisan Nasional's hopes in the general election, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

“If we had been sensitive to the temple issue and taken care of the temples, we would have won more seats in the election,” told reporters at the MIC head office here. “We would not have lost the Indian community's votes.”

Realising the sensitiveness of religious issues, Samy Vellu said, he met with Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar two weeks ago to appeal for the renewal and new application of work permits for 800 Indian priests, musicians and sculptors.

“I am grateful for the Federal Government's consideration in approving permits for the religious people from India,” he said. “If the Government had not approved the permits the temples would have to close down.”

He added that temple authorities could go to the Immigration Department to apply for work permits for the temple officials.

When told that immigration officials were not entertaining new applications, Samy Vellu said the Cabinet decision had not been communicated to the officials.

On training local temple priests, he said that some years ago he initiated a programme to train them in India.

“When they returned, they were paid RM300 per month. But they would rather do something that could earn them a better income.”

Asked about Makkal Osai, he said he was sorry that its publication licence was not renewed.

“They can appeal to the Home Minister,” he added.

Only after Samy Vellu lost his parliamentary seat in the recent election, did he become more vocal to raise the plight of the Indian community.

Before the election, problems faced by Indian community are secondary to him. He was more busy with highway projects, leaking cabinet toilet and give details attention to clogged drains. What the heck. A senior politician (and a party president) busy with clogged drains. That the job for the municipal council. As a party president, a federal minister and also a parliamentarian, he should be more busy with social and politics issue for his Indian community.

When Samy lost the election and no longer in the cabinet, he started to play his trumpet. It a job that he should have done earlier. Blowing his trumpet now is akin to playing at the street asking passer-by to throw coins into the hat.

What I mean is that he is blowing the Indian community problem as a publicity in hope that he can regain the support from the community. I think the Indian community have enough of him.

Extracted from: thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/7/nation/20871124&sec=nation (Apr 07, 2008)

Samy Vellu: Govt should look into Indian woes

PETALING JAYA: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has urged the Government to look into the problems faced by the various communities, including the Indians in the country.

“They have to think of everybody and not someone whom they like.

“They must see the tears in the eyes of the Indian community. I have seen it, cried and sat with them and did whatever they wanted,” he said.

“They (the people) need the government support. They must not make the same mistakes as before and should fulfil the promises made as soon as possible,” he told reporters after launching the Sri Murugan Centre’s 25th national workshop yesterday and honouring 12 students who scored 10As and above in the SPM examinations

Samy Vellu also said he would speak to the Chief Secretary to the Government and the director-general of the Public Services Department to provide scholarships to Indian students who scored 10A1s and above in SPM.

“These students have excelled in their studies and should be given scholarships to study in their fields of choice,” he said.