Sivarraajh concerned blueprint programme will be axed

The Cameron Highlands MP Sivarraajh Chandran has urged the government to continue the previous administration’s plans aimed at uplifting the Indian Malaysian community. He specifically mentioned the implementation of the Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB).

He said he is extremely disappointed to hear Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran’s responses regarding these initiatives.

Sivarraajh added Kulasegaran's statement about the government reviewing the MIB raises concerns that the 10-year programme launched last year may be axed.

“Perhaps the MIB may be brought in line with the Pakatan Harapan manifesto, but my question is since Pakatan Harapan has made many ‘U-turns’ on the promises it had made during (the run-up to) the 14th general election, does it also mean this will become another of Harapan’s empty promises on grounds of national debt and so on?” he said in a statement today.

The MIC youth chief said Kulasegaran had also indicated the government will eliminate quotas on public university and civil service intakes, whereas the previous administration had promised to impose a seven-percent Indian quota on such intakes.

“Thus, the failure of the new government to set up programmes and mechanisms like the previous government’s would impede the increase of the Indian student intake into public universities and institutions of higher learning, as well as the civil service,” he said.

He said Kulasegaran’s response is disappointing because the current merit-based system is inadequate to ensure that Indians have an equitable portion in the intakes.

He questioned whether the government can raise the intake of Indians to seven percent without any intervention.

He claimed that Indian student intakes at public universities had fallen drastically since the merit-based system was introduced, and the government should conduct a detailed study to determine its causes.

Such a study had been undertaken by the Socio-Economic Development Unit of Indian Community (Sedic), Cabinet Committee for Indian Community, and the Ministry of Education, he said.

Meanwhile, Sivarraajh said he hopes the government would continue the previous government’s programme that allows Indians in the Bottom-40 income bracket to purchase units in Permodalan Nasional Berhad’s Amanah Saham 1Malaysia Scheme (AS1M).

He said the government had said it would review this scheme because of its financial implications. He suggests that the practice should be continued because it enables B40 families to save and invest. - Mkini