No 'peanuts' for this Indian leader

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PETALING JAYA: A seven-year-old support letter written by then works minister Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu to help secure a national service camp in Perak, is returning to haunt the person benefitting from the "surat sokong" (support letter) – MIC Youth Chief T Mohan.

 

Following Mohan's statement on Oct 17, that the government does not give "peanuts" to the Indian community in Budget 2014, he has received a barrage of criticisms. 

 

Among them is that he has been receiving much more than a can of peanuts through the offices of Samy Vellu – the then MIC president.

 

The criticisms centre on Silver Line Services Sdn Bhd, of which Mohan is a major shareholder. A letter written by Samy Vellu to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to secure a national service camp in Sungkai, Perak, used the race card to help Silver Line gain an advantage.

 

"The involvement of the Indian community in the National Service programme is very limited. Hence I appeal to your good self to consider the application by Silver Line Sdn Bhd. 

 

"The approval of the application is in line with the government's aspiration to improve the economic standing of the Indian community," read the letter which was dated July 28, 2006. 

 

POWER chairman S Gobikrishnan said the camp (Kem Sinaran Suria) is one example where the Indian community is left in a lurch while only a handful of connected Indians are benefitting.

 

"If the government only gave peanuts to Indians, then how come MIC leaders, who are also Indians such as Mohan, are all living luxuriously and driving luxury cars? 

 

"How did they manage to buy luxury cars if indeed the government only allocated small amount of funds for Indians?" he said, alluding to Mohan's links with Gang 36 which the latter has vehemently denied.

 

"So it begs a question whether it's true the government only allocates peanuts to Indians or indeed the government did allocate substantial funds to Indians and are all hijacked by MIC leaders?"

 

He said the Indian community was not marginalised by the government but by parties who claims to represent Indians. 

 

"It is a fact that BN does allocate sufficient funds for Indian community but are siphoned off by leaders of parties," he claimed.

 

When contacted, Mohan said it was true that he applied for the contracts in 2003. However, he stressed that anyone can apply for these contracts but they must fulfil certain requirements. 

 

"Nothing is free, you must have the facilities and money in the account," he said. 

 

Mohan also played down the impact of support letters.

 

"I can ask Datuk Seri Samy Vellu to give, I can also ask Palanivel (Datuk Seri G Palanivel) to give, it is not an issue," he said. 

 

Silver Line first came to prominence in 2010, following the sacking of former Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) chief executive officer P Chithirakala – who was a major shareholder of the former.

 

Chithirakala has since withdrawn from the company leaving Mohan in full control, where the company is said to be drawing RM200,000 a month from the camp.

 

-fz.com