PETALING JAYA, April 10 – MIC’s two ministers and two deputy ministers are now requested to submit detailed reports of the “portfolios” set aside for them specifically on a regular basis to the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
Najib, who is also the Barisan Nasional chief, wants the ministers and deputy ministers in the party to ensure the Malaysian Indian community is not sidelined in aids and assistance.
“The PM also wants them to submit reports of what they have done and what needs to be done for the community. They have been asked to submit reports every three months when the cabinet committee for Indian Affairs meets,” said a source.
On his part, said the source, Najib has divided areas which should be focused by the MIC leaders.
MIC, the largest Indian based political party in the country, has two ministers and equal number of deputy ministers. Party president G Palanivel and his deputy Dr S Subramaniam are Natural Resources and Environment, and Health Ministers respectively.
Party vice president M Saravanan is Youth and Sports deputy minister while MIC central working committee member P Kamalanathan is deputy Education minister.
After the 13th general election last year, Najib appointed Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy to the cabinet as a deputy minister to look into the Indian affairs. Waythamoorthy however resigned earlier this year saying that Najib did not have the political will to walk the talk when it came to Indian matters.
The ball was back on MIC’s court and the party leaders were once again entrusted to look into matters pertaining to the two million strong Malaysian Indian community.
The four leaders were given specific portfolios to help the Indian community by the Prime Minister more than a month ago, when the cabinet committee met for the first time since the general election.
Palanivel is entrusted to look into woes faced by temples, construction of multi-purpose halls, crematoriums, MIC seat allocations and small and medium industries. Dr Subramaniam on the other hand will handle health matters, identification papers for Indian without MyKads or birth certificates, promotion of Indian in the civil sector and estate workers.
Saravanan is in charge of youth empowerment and skills training and agriculture including poultry while Kamalanathan will look at education.
The move by Najib to designate portfolios to these leaders is to ensure that they do their part for the community apart from serving as ministers and deputy ministers.
“Since Waythamoorthy resigned, the burden has come back to the MIC. The PM wants them to produce. It is not enough to just say we have the support of the Indian community. The MIC must show that they do indeed have the support through programmes which are beneficial to the community.
“So far only one of them have started working on the ground, which is good. But what about the other three. It is hoped that they will pull up their socks and get to work for the betterment of the community,” said the source, who declined to name the leader who has hit the ground.
The source also said that Najib was concerned if allocations for the community had indeed reached its intended target.
“Four of them were shocked at the last meeting when the Prime Minister brought up more than 20 unresolved issues. It showed that Najib had done his homework. MIC leaders then agreed to the tasks allocated to them.
“They now cannot come back and complain. They have to do their job first and show results,” he added.
– FREE MALAYSIA TODAY
