'Gov't failed to fill 7.5pct matric quota for Indians'

The government has failed to fill a 7.5 percent quota for Indian Malaysians in matriculation and skills training institutes, says Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia in its 100-day report card today. 

“It is also not clear what 7.5 percent works out to. From next year onwards a clear and transparent system needs to be set up to prevent this from being a recurring event,” it added. 

The item is one of nine performance areas that are deemed feasible in the 100-day reporting period beginning on June 5, when its chairperson P Waythamoorthy was sworn in as senator and took office as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. 

No figures were provided in the report card on this issue, but MIC treasurer-general Jaspal Singh was previously quoted as saying that only1,142 matriculation places had been filled by Indians, out of 1,500 that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had promised in March. 

Out of the nine performance areas, the only one that was fulfilled was the setting up of a unit under the Prime Minister’s Department to implement Hindraf’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BN and naming Waythamoorthy as its head.

The other seven that are not done are: 

• Giving executive powers to Waythamoorthy, without which his unit cannot operate without Najib’s direct involvement.

• Providing sufficient budget to implement the MOU. Thus far a budget has been proposed relating to the resettlement of displaced estate workers, rebuilding of primary schools and relocating temples, but this has yet to be approved.

• Establishing the unit’s organisation structure, for which a proposal has been made but has been rejected for being “too elaborate”.

• Establishing an Expert Steering Committee (ESC) to make plans for the Hindraf blueprint. Two Hindraf representatives have been identified and it is awaiting the government to name its own representatives and a chairperson.

• Setting up an arbitration committee.

• Setting up a subcommittee under the ESC to address issues related to temples and burial grounds.

• Develop proposals for resolving statelessness amongst the Indian community. The report says that a study has identified 10 causes of statelessness, and its recommendations are subject to review.

Hindraf’s report says the performance thus far is unsatisfactory, but believes this would improve and promises another report card after 12 months in government. 

“This exercise will increase accountability of all parties concerned to the pledges made before getting into office. 

“The people can use this report card to make their future decisions about the government,” it said.