Hindraf reveals details of BN new deal

A special division functioning and funded under the direct supervision of the prime minister is to be set up to implement the Hindraf memorandum of understanding (MOU), said the Hindu rights group.

Since the MOU was signed between Hindraf and the BN last Thursday, the public, especially Indians, have demanded to know the details that has led to the Hindu rights group supporting its former arch enemy.

Hindraf national adviser N Ganesan said to address this, the organisation has run full-page advertisements in Tamil newspapers to explain the so-called “new deal” with the ruling party.
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Key points in the advertisement in last Sunday's edition of Tamil Nesan are:

1. To bring progress to displaced former estate workers

1.1. To raise the income of the former estate workers

• Those who qualify for it are all the Indian Malaysians whose family income is lower than RM3000.

• To double their family income by 2020.

• A committee of experts will conduct research and decide on various programmes, policies and allocation of finance.

• The committee of experts will submit its Indian-centred coordinated plans to the government by Oct 31, 2013.

• The government will accept in total the plans, policies and financial allocations as recommended by the committee of experts.

1.2. House ownership programme for former estate workers

• Those Indian Malaysians whose monthly family income is not above RM3,000 will qualify.

• This will be done by 2018 in areas where the displaced workers are concentrated. The department or the ministry will provide the necessary finance and allocate 100,000 national standard grade houses.

• To relocate in housing projects which are complete with facilities such as temples, burial grounds, community halls and playgrounds with the view to protecting socio-cultural aspects and preventing the growth of squatter areas in towns.

1.3. Retraining and alternative skills training for former young estate workers.

• The purpose of this programme - which requires great effort - is to bring out the hidden talents of Indian youth and change them into skilled and useful citizens for constructive action.

• Discover the hidden talents of the youths and provide them with the necessary prerequisites to undertake vocational training and have them admitted into the 176 Giat Mara centres and 78 community colleges to obtain proper skills training.

• After the training, based on their capability, they will be employed in the government and government-linked companies.
• To those who wish to start small scale businesses, support will be given through the Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun) loan scheme.

• For this purpose, RM20 million will be allocated annually.

1.4. To maintain the temples and the burial grounds of the former estate workers

• To protect the temples and the burial grounds that were constructed by our forefathers and which stand as testimony to our history in this country from being destroyed and removed.

• All the temples, small places of worship and burial grounds in the country shall by 2018 be on lands specifically allocated and registered for this purpose.

• A division of an experts committee shall undertake a detailed research on temples, small places of worship and burial grounds and submit its recommendations on their maintenance.

• With the permission of the prime minister and acceptance by the government, a council composed of religious scholars will propose solutions to complicated problems relating to temples and the Hindu religion. This committee shall be accountable to the prime minister and the person to be appointed as the head of the new administration under the prime minister.

2. The problem of Indians without identification documents

• To those without any birth certificates, a solution is to be found through an open, sympathetic and simple plan.

• To find solutions to the problems of people without documents by accepting statutory declarations deposed by people held in high esteem by the society.

• To change red identity cards (ICs) to blue ICs through open and systematic policies.

• To find ways and means to identify those who have legally obtained their citizenship from those who have not.

• The head of the new department under the prime minister shall within three months from the date of his appointment submit his recommendations on the matters mentioned above and obtain the approval of the prime minister.

3. The plans to increase the employment and business opportunities for the Indian Malaysians

• To allocate RM500 million in order to raise the Indian Malaysians’ equity ownership to three percent.

• To confirm that the Indians get 7.5 percent of the amount that the government allocates for small business loan schemes and micro-credit schemes.

• To confirm that the Indians get 7.5 percent of all the business licences and permits issued by the government.

• To confirm that the Indians get 7.5 percent of all the franchises granted by the government.

• To confirm that the Indians get 7.5 percent of all the contracts offered at national, state and local council levels.

• To confirm that qualified Indians get 7.5 percent of all government jobs.

• To confirm that qualified Indians get 7.5 percent of all government-linked company jobs.

• To confirm that the Indians will get, in the next five years, RM200 million from the Tekun loan scheme.

• To confirm micro-credit loan schemes for Indians in accordance with the recommendation of the expert committee.

4. To develop/increase the opportunities for education from pre-school to university

• To allocate enough funds and necessary measures for the relocation, development and construction of new buildings to make by 2020 all the Tamil schools equal to the national schools.

• To convert all the Tamil schools to fully government-aided schools.

• To set up a special fund to develop the skills of the Tamil school students.

• To confirm that 7.5 percent of places in the government universities and institutions of higher learning are for Indian students.

• To confirm that 10 percent of places in the government polytechnic colleges are for Indian students.

• To confirm that 7.5 percent of places in the present residential schools, matriculation and technical colleges are for Indian students.

• To confirm that 20 percent of the places in the proposed nine residential schools for students of all races are for Indian students.
• To confirm that 7.5 percent of scholarships from the Public Services Department (JPA), other government scholarship schemes and state scholarships are for Indian students.

• A separate RM25 million annual special education assistance scheme for Indian students through the new department that is to begin operations under the prime minister.