Malaysian Indian Congress chief assures more facilities to the Indian community

Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 6 (ANI): Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) president S. Samy Vellu has said that the Cabinet Committee for the Development of Indians will discuss issues affecting the Indian community, including equity participation on February 23.The news Strait Times quoted Vellu as saying that the committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, is likely to discuss MIC's proposals, including the setting-up of a mechanism to increase Indians' equity participation from the current 1.2 percent to 3 percent in 2020.During the Eighth Malaysia Plan period (2001-2005), the Indian equity fell down from 1.5 percent in 2000 to 1.2 percent in 2004.The MIC had suggested that a mechanism should be established within the government-owned Permodalan Nasional Bhd to assist poor Indians to buy shares through 50 percent grants and 50 percent loans from the Government.Vellu said several decisions were taken at the first Cabinet Committee meeting last July 1 that included, streamlining the procedure for bringing Hindu, Sikh and other priests from India and fully aiding the Tamil schools which were partially-aided earlier.

He said the Government had also approved 80 million Ringgits over the last 18 months to redevelop 50 Tamil schools, which were in a dilapidated state.

MIC had also demanded to increase the number of Public Service Department scholarships for Indians studying in foreign universities to 163 students.Other decisions include enabling those who scored 9As and above in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination to receive scholarships to study in local universities, recognising the MIC-run Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology University as among the institutes where scholarship students could enrol and agreeing to set up a special task force under the Home Ministry to deal with the 30,000 Indians born in Malaysia who are still without documents. (ANI)