PSM pans race-based lobbying of 12th Malaysia Plan

 

PSM central committee member Sharan Raj has criticised the race-based lobbying of the 12th Malaysia Plan.

Sharan (above) said some "race-based elitists" have been lobbying for the Indian community in the formulation of the 12th Malaysia Plan but he was sceptical of their agenda.

"These people racialise poverty merely to enrich themselves," he said.

Sharan noted that the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra), a government entity dedicated to helping the Indian community, had allocated some RM500 million for the community but questioned if it had really helped the group.

"Basically, Mitra became an event funding organisation for politically linked people.

"The RM500 million could have provided housing for 5,000 households equal to 200,000 Malaysians to end old age homelessness and housing insecurity amongst Malaysians," he added.

Sharan said one category of people that were in desperate need of help were the 250,000 cleaners and security guards working for the government on contract.

Instead of getting positions in the public service, he said they were outsourced to private firms.

"According to Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK), the government paid RM1.5 billion per annum to crony contractors to manage security guards in public schools.

"The cumulative wages of 40,000 security guards working 84 hours per week is about RM1 billion.

"Basically, these crony contractors get RM500 million worth of commissions to pay minimum wages on behalf of the government," he said. 

"Re-nationalising these jobs allow us to redistribute the crony contractors’ premium to increase workers’ wages to lift them up from poverty," he added.

Sharan slammed the elites who try to use racial issues to their benefit instead of helping those in need.  

"These morally and intellectually bankrupt racial elites play up racism to be parasites on society through divide and rule.

"They are not interested in ending racism and poverty as this allows them to plunder society," he added. - Mkini