Samy: MIC has addressed all Indian problems

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Mar 1, 2013

(fz.com) – Former MIC President Datuk Seri Samy Vellu vehemently denied that there are major problems plaguing the Indian community and insisted that he is still closely monitoring the solutions he had put in place to solve all the community’s problems.

Samy Vellu, who was the MIC’s longest serving president until his resignation in 2010, was commenting on the opposition’s claims that the Indian community is facing major problems including a lack of education, poverty and documentation issues.

In an interview with fz.com, Samy Vellu said it was during his time that Maju Institute of Education (MIED) – the education arm of MIC – was formed.

“The education problems of the Indians have been taken care of by MIC when I was the president. We spent RM120 million to educate (Indians) by building colleges and universities.

“We have trained 45,000 Indian students to be craftsmen and we have even given out scholarships.

“We have built a university, Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) for the Indian students to become doctors and there are also other races studying there,” said Samy Vellu in defence of MIC.

Samy Vellu said that despite stepping down from the president’s post in MIC, he is still helming the efforts to assist Indians.

“I am still the chairman of MIED, which owns the AIMST,” said Samy Vellu.

On whether poverty is rampant in the Indian community, Samy Vellu said that it has always been the policy of MIC to give the poor Indians jobs.

“We have an organisation called Yayasan Pemulihan. Whenever we see people in poverty, we get them a job. We have started an organisation called Yayasan Strategik Sosial as well,” said Samy Vellu.

On the statelessness issue of Malaysian-born Indians, especially those in the estates, a problem which was highlighted by PKR, Samy Vellu said that the issue was merely being politicised.

“I don’t think the opposition have any knowledge of the statelessness issues of the Indians. What is the opposition? They just open the mouth and talk – they are only doing politics – but we are doing politics and social work.

“All the stateless Indians have gotten citizenship and MIC has done it for many thousands of people. During my time itself, we had separate departments to look into the activities of Indians. Until today, I still see people for seven hours every Tuesday and record what they need and then after that I get them the needed help,” said Samy Vellu.