Helping poor Indians: Expert decries quick fixes

Sociologist Denison Jayasooria criticises politicians for not thinking of long term strategies.

PETALING JAYA: A sociologist has accused politicians of insincerity in addressing poverty among urban Malaysian Indians, saying they were using the poor as tools in their struggle to keep or attain power.

Speaking to FMT, Denison Jayasooria, a research fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said one indication of such self interest was the tendency to provide quick fixes rather than to plot long term strategies that would address urban poverty and inequality.

Giving an example of a quick fix, he spoke of handouts, which he said were killing self-reliance.

“Handouts are quick fixes and quick fixes are not sustainable,” he said. “Education, character development, capability development, neighbourhood building – all of these require long term social work and community intervention.”

He said social work and community intervention were currently lacking because most Indian-based NGOs were volunteer-based and did not have trained social workers.

He noted that urban poverty among the Indians became a phenomenon when large groups of them, especially former plantation workers, were displaced and had to migrate to squatter areas in towns and cities. Many later moved to high rise flats.

He described urban poverty as a “cycle linked to low income, low educational qualifications, low skills, underemployment, past experiences of injustice and exploitation as well as the loss of confidence in political leadership.”

He said the search for a solution required a “multi-dimensional intervention strategy and the re-orientation of civil servants and NGOs undertaking the task”.

Jayasooria was commenting on a recent Bernama report that quoted Prime Minister Najib Razak as saying that a key item in the Barisan Nasional government’s agenda was to improve the standard of living of the Indian community.

Jayasooria, however, said the idea of a “BN government” or “Pakatan Rakyat government” resolving social issues had negative implications.

He said the direct association of a government with a political party would raise the question of whether taxpayers’ money or political funds were being used.

“What about all those who did not vote for the political party or the person finally elected? Don’t these people have rights to the service?”

He lamented that politicians were continuing to act as politicians even after becoming public officials.

Jayasooria also said the problems of the poor urban Indians were not unique to them.

“Similar issues are faced by the poor in Sabah and Sarawak, the Orang Asli community, as well as among the poorer Malays, especially those living in urban flats,” he said.

“Community empowerment and accountability, along with the strengthening of political consciousness on a rights-based approach to development, will restore the dignity of these communities.

“Lasting change can be brought about with the people’s participation, especially that of the poor themselves.” -FMT