The Tamil Vote

I do get spin sent to me from time to time especially from the Pakatan guys. Their spin is useful because it saves me a lot of typing. Just change a few words here and there, tweak the sentences a little and you get an easy peasy piece of good stuff. 

Here is something from someone who says he got this from an outfit called 'The other Free Malaysia Today'. This is about the Indians.  I dont know if this is indeed the original article. 

Just some explanation - it is very, very misleading to group all the Indians under one label. The Indians are NOT a homogeneous group. They are of different racial backgrounds. They speak different languages, they have different religions, they may belong to different castes. The differences amongst the Indians can be wider than the difference between an Indian and a Chinese or Malay.  I am just pointing out facts. In Malaysia. 

Politically almost all the Indians who support the BN are actually Tamils from India. They also make up almost 100% of the membership in the MIC. Quite a large number of Indians who oppose the BN are usually non Tamils either from India or Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

A huge number of the MIC members are Tamils originally from India. They have been loyal supporters of the BN for ages.  On the other hand Karpal Singh is a Punjabi. Sivarasa is a Ceylon Tamil. Tommy Panamera is a 'tak tahu mana mari' non-Tamil.  There are socio-economic, religious, linguistic and caste reasons for these differences in their politics as well.

The fact that all the Indians do not mix easily with each other is the original reason for their political leanings as well.  Anyway here is the article after it has been vetted by me - your favorite Spinmeister.  (Can you imagine depa ingat depa nak spin kat saya. What a joke). Anyway mine makes more sense. Here goes :

If Pakatan Rakyat becomes the federal government, Indians will suffer. That's why Indians are swinging back to BN.

COMMENT

Knowing that a few Chinese are aiming to vote for Pakatan Rakyat, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has tripled his efforts to woo the Indian voters. And on March 17, he was in Meru, Klang, exhorting the Indians to stay loyal to BN.

He has promised the Indians citizenship, scholarship, business entrepreneurship, schools, and jobs.

This columnist spoke to a friend in Kapar, Klang, and asked him why he supports MIC and not PKR. He is a surgeon and his name is Natchitran Venu. Below are his reasons why he is for MIC.  These are his exact comments:

1. PKR pretends to be pro-rakyat while MIC has always been pro-rakyat who will benefit from its (MIC’s) existence.

2. Past record of MIC's service to the community unlike PKR's cronyism and nepotism within three families (ha ha ha)

3. I don’t subscribe to PKR's loose morals. (ha ha ha)

4. PKR is a directionless party with self-centred leaders.

5. PKR and its partners--DAP and PAS-- have no knowledge of the original struggle for independence.

6. Pakatan is a coalition of convenience and is just counting its last days.

Going by his above comments which are sound and logical, it is hoped that many Indians will wake up to the fact that they are doing the right thing by returning to MIC.

This is because MIC is in BN and it always has the interest of the community and is supported by 12 other political parties in BN.

Rarely do MIC leaders keep quiet when it comes to protecting the interests of the Indian community. The same also goes for MCA leaders.

Therefore with 100% support from their BN partners, the voices of MIC leaders are heard, not muzzled. 

MIC's voice

During the pre-Merdeka days, the Indians were vocal in fighting for Independence as they were known for being active trade unionists.

Over the years, Indian voices have gradually toned down as there were fewer issues, except last year when some Indians demonstrated in front of Parliament and in front of the National Registration Office in Putrajaya in regard to citizenship issues.

This issue is not problematic as there are only very few Indians without citizenship since Aug 31, 1957.

Compare this to the fact that one million non-citizens received citizenship papers overnight at the time of Malayan independence and you will know the scale of justice experienced by the Indians.

Concerning Indian education, many have done well for themselves 

Many people always say that Malaysia is a land of opportunities. 

That is the reason why Pakatan wants to become the federal government. They will force the Indians to do the jobs of the foreign workers to gradually cut down the number of foreign workers.

It is only with BN that Indians can obtain a larger representation in Parliament and in the Cabinet.

If Pakatan comes to power, no amount of pressure exerted by the Indians can amount to anything. It is always one excuse or another.

With Pakatan, Indians cannot ask for more and get more benefits. Indians already know that they have been sidelined in the recent Pakatan manifesto launched on Feb 25. That is so true.

Brave role models

PM Najib is committed to help those who are poor and marginalised regardless of race and anyone who is poor will be helped. Thus if the Indian is poor, he or she too will receive aid from the BN government.

Issues and problems facing the Indians are not as many as those during the Merdeka days.

No one can solve all problems overnight and it is hoped that Indians who have been so instrumental in helping the opposition in 2008 will return to BN in the 13th general election.

Everyone must work together to keep opportunists out of government so that we can get long-term benefits and not empty promises which do not solve problems in the long-run.

Let us follow the examples shown by the brave Indian role models--Thivy, V.T. Sambanthan and others --in speaking up for our rights in the face of great odds.