Subra hails Najib as PM who’s done most for Indians

The MIC President complains that the community has not shown enough gratitude.

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC President S Subramaniam today censured the Indian community for their alleged ingratitude to Prime Minister Najib Razak, whom he praised as a leader who had proven to be greatly concerned over the community’s plight.

Speaking at a ceremony where he gave out grants under the Prime Minister Department’s Sedic (Socio-Economic Development of the Indian Community) scheme, he said Najib had surpassed his predecessors in efforts to help the community.

He said there was a disconnect between the level of support the government had given to the Indians and the level of support they had given the government.

Since Najib became Prime Minister, he added, the Indians had been presented with a “golden opportunity” to lift themselves out of economic and social deprivation.

“My greatest fear is that this might not continue if Datuk Seri Najib is no longer there,” he said.

He called on the community to exercise patience, saying, “the social and economic problems of the Indian community have been long-standing and to put it right will take time.”

He added, “Unless we take this golden opportunity, we will miss the window that is there to transform the Indian community.”

Najib, speaking at the same function, urged Indians to help themselves to complement the government’s efforts to get them out of their rut.

“Although Barisan Nasional has and will continue to help the Indian community,” he said, “this must be accompanied by a structural and cultural change within the community itself.

“With this change, the Indian community will be able to move forward towards achieving more meaningful success.”