Malaysian minister Samy to meet Indian leaders

Chennai, Jan.8: Malaysian Works Minister S Samy Vellu will meet Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to explain the real situation concerning the Indian community in Malaysia.

Vellu, who is also the president of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), said he would also meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi during a visit to Chennai in view of the negative publicity arising from the November 25 street demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur by a group of Indian Malaysians. "I hope to meet the Indian prime minister on the sidelines of the Pravasi conference and meet the Tamil Nadu chief minister here within the next few days," he said, adding according to the Bernama news agency, that he would explain to the two leaders the actual position of the Indian community in Malaysia.

Vellu was speaking to Indian journalists after launching a book. He is on a stopover here en route to New Delhi to attend the three-day Pravasi Barathiya Divas 2008 conference.

Vellu is leading a 70-member delegation comprising MIC leaders and Indian-based non-governmental organisations to the annual gathering of people of Indian origin from all over the world.

Vellu said it was not true that Indians in Malaysia were deprived of so many things and that many Hindu temples had been demolished arbitrarily.
"Some of the temples were demolished because of court orders as they were built illegally," he said, adding that many of the temples were relocated to alternative sites.

He also said that the Malaysian government had created many opportunities for Indian Malaysians and many were doing well in various fields.
Vellu expressed hope that his explanation to the Indian government would clear up any misunderstanding over the issue.

Relations between Malaysia and India are strong "and nothing will affect this cordial relationship", he added." However, some Malaysians are deeply sceptical about Vellu's credentials as a representative of the Indian Malaysian community.

They believe that Vellu will tell all kinds of lies about the true situation of the community in Malaysia. One person, who chose to remain anonymouse, accused Vellu of having already sold out Indian rights and privileges to UMNO.

He said Vellu had given the green signal to the police to use teargas and water cannon against Malaysia Indians who had gathered in Batu Caves Temple.

ANI