I WILL DO MY BEST

Dear Friends,

At about 12:30 noon on 15th April 2010, i received a call from Y. Bhg. Dato' Seri S Samy Vellu, informing me that i have been selected to be the candidate for the Hulu Selangor Parliamentary Seat.

When i attended the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on the 14th April 2010, i along with my fellow CWC members that we will endorse Y. Bhg. Dato' G Palanivel as our sole candidate for the seat.

For me Y. Bhg. Dato' G Palanivel is a man that i have always looked up, his liberal way in his political approach was what attracted me to him.

I still remember in 1990 when i was just 25 years old, i took my journey to Hulu Selangor to assist Y. Bhg. Dato' G Palanivel to win the elections there.

Now its my turn.

Over the next few days, i will try my best to update my blog, tweeter as well as my facebook.

Please do let me have your opinions and suggestions on how i should handle my campaign.

Thanks and GOD bless all of you.

WHY ARE THEY JUMPING SHIP?

The recent wave of Pakatan rakyat Member of Parliament’s abandoning ship have caused the opposition coalition to experience a ‘tsunami’ of their own although a smaller one then what the Barisan Nasional experienced in 2008. There have been many accusations and counter accusations that it is the Barisan Nasional who is responsible for such actions. I can’t help but consider that the federal government after the results of the last general election and new energetic leadership have become more sensitive and people orientated when it comes to hearing the voice of the people, Barisan Nasional the coalition are listening and responding, Barisan Nasional has changed, Barisan Nasional is changing, Barisan Nasional will continue to change to become better leaders because that is the message from the very top of the country’s leadership and his vision for creating a better tomorrow.

It can’t be denied that the losses suffered two years ago were coming to Barisan Nasional. One major reason this happen was Barisan Nasional thought everything is satisfactory and denied the fact that the people were becoming disappointed, the wakeup call worked and the denial syndrome that drowned out reason was rectified.

Ironically barely 2 years into their administration it seems that the Pakatan Rakyat has been severely infected by their own denial syndrome. It seems everyone that leaves Pakatan Rakyat is a bad apple and everyone that leaves the Barisan Nasional are doyens of truth and justice. There is no legitimate rhyme or reason they left, none of reasons or dissatisfactions expressed by the leaders who left have any merit. Hence according to the Pakatan Rakyat it’s the Barisan Nasional government who are solely responsible for such actions. However there are certain contradictions in this argument.


For one all those who left have stated categorically the reasons and most of their reasons seem to be lack of faith in the leaders and also a loss of direction and mission of the party they left. Are all those who left bereft of scrupulous, morals and principles? Tough to comprehend because it seems anyone who disagrees with the Pakatan Rakyat situation and leadership stance and wants change is bad, maybe the Pakatan Rakyat’s idea of change is only when it benefits them.

Funnily when Dato’ Zaid Ibrahim left the government to join the Pakatan Rakyat they didn’t seem to have problems accepting him. The venerable lawyer has also gone on record as saying the Prime Minister is behind these defections because he is “crazy” to reach the 2/3 majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

First of all the majority of parliamentarians who left the Pakatan Rakyat have not said they are joining any party in the Barisan Nasional coalition. In fact many of them haven’t even stated they will be Barisan Nasional friendly.

Choosing to leave Pakatan Rakyat doesn’t automatically mean they chose Barisan Nasional, it could just mean they have lost faith in the Pakatan Rakyat and its struggles. He seems to have conveniently forgotten that his own paramount leader had expressed publicly his intention and goal of overtaking the federal government in the 16th of September fiasco.

And is this not power craziness at its peak and hypocrisy at its worst?

The state of denial by the top echelon of the Pakatan Rakyat leadership in regards to the direction, policy and performance of the opposition coalition is reaching an alarming rate and not surprisingly the number of defections and is bound to get worse because of their attitude that everyone is wrong except those who conform and accept their practices no matter how dubious and fragmented from their original mission. The slumber of denial for those in power can be very intoxicating; however the citizens are awake and watching. They have given the Pakatan Rakyat 1Chance, but personally 1Malaysia seems impossible for a coalition that can’t even keep its own party Member of Parliament’s from leaving in disgust and contempt.

Tenth Malaysia Plan & Malaysian Indians

I am pleased to share the summary recommendations to be considered for the 10th Malaysian Plan. This Action plan was submitted by Y. Bhg. Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria and was presented by Y. Bhg. Dato' Seri S Samy Vellu at the 2nd MIC's Central Working Committee which was held on 11th February 2010.

The 12 point summary addresses the needs of the bottom 40%.

1) Poor & low income families:

Undertake a comprehensive identification of Indian poor (below PLI) and low income (below Rm2, 000) including single mothers and ensure government assistance and income generating programs are challenged to them


2) Citizenship Documentation (IC & BC)

Undertake a comprehensive documentation of all Indians cases with the cooperation of Registration Department. Attempt to resolve 75% of the cases between 2010 & 2011.


3) Unresolved Land/ Neighborhood matters

Undertake documentation with community leaders and resolve land ownership & or relocation to permanent & affordable housing.


4) Providing pre school opportunities

Ensuring that every child is enrolled in a pre school program with the cooperation of Kemas, Department of National Unity & Tamil.


5) Improving quality of primary school education

Ensuring that all underachieving children have opportunity for additional classes and encouragement through the school system with complementary role of voluntary organizations.


6) Improving the quality of Remove Class Education

Undertake a comprehensive review of the Remove class system and ensure quality of teaching –learning experience is tremendously improved.


7) Addressing the concerns of high risk students in secondary schools

Need for special programs to build the capacity of teachers to be able to handle these students in an effective way. In addition to incorporate a larger component of non academic subjects such as skills training and character development to effective enhance the full potential of these students.


8) Income generating opportunities

In addition to enlarging the availability and access to micro credit through Tekun, it is essential to undertake business training including social preparation programs to ensure sustainability.

9) Enlisting the partnership of voluntary organizations

Establishing a social dialogue process with voluntary and civil society organizations to play a complementary role in awareness creation, enlisting service users, monitoring and impact assessment.


10) Capacity building of civil servants

Ensuring that are civil service delivery team is multi ethnic and are culturally sensitive to all ethnic and sub ethnic communities. All front line delivery staff must undertake an aptitude test to ensure appreciation of cultural diversity and ensure free of prejudice which could be a major hurdle for effective delivery.


11) Strengthen delivery by establishing a Special Task Force team to monitor delivery & implementation

In order to strengthen the cabinet committee which is policy making a special task force is necessary which monitors on a monthly basis the implementation of all the government programme directed to the Indian community.

12) Strengthen implementation by enlarging the secretariat of the Cabinet committee on Indian Concerns

Currently there are only two contract officers which is inadequate. At the federal level this should be enlarged to five additional officers (three for coordination & two for research & impact assessment).

In addition Federal officers in 9 states will ensure the effective implementation at the state level and will work closely with the secretariat which will be based in Putrajaya.