GEORGE TOWN, Nov 2 — MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan today hit out at the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government for not carrying out any development programme for the Indian community since taking over the state’s administration in 2008.
Saravanan, who is also Youth and Sports Deputy Minister, said this showed that the current state government was sidelining the Indian community.
“Many people in Penang have also lost their jobs as factories have stopped employing local Indians and instead hired foreign workers. We have seen no action by the state government to overcome this problem,” he said after officiating at a Deepavali open house organised by the North Malaysia Malayalee Association.
Also present were former Penang Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan and state MIC leaders. On the Deepavali open house, he said such an event should be encouraged at all levels as it could foster unity among the Indians as well as between the various races.
Little India proposed in Kedah
Meanwhile in SUNGAI PETANI, Kedah MIC chairman Datuk S. Ganesan expressed hope that the state and federal governments would give attention to and support the proposed setting up of Little India in Jalan Sekerat, here.
Speaking at a Deepavali open house hosted by Sungai Petani MIC, he noted that Little India had already existed in some states like Melaka, Selangor, Penang and Perak.
Ganesan said the creation of Little India in Kedah, proposed by Sungai Petani MIC, was apt and a sign of recognition for the Indian community’s support for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the last general election, where BN wrested back Kedah from the opposition coalition.
He said the setting up of Little India in Jalan Sekerat, proposed to be changed to Jalan Kadaram (which means Kedah in Tamil), would give the area a facelift and provide more business opportunities to the Indian and other
communities, besides being a tourist attraction.
At the function, Sungai Petani MIC chief T.H. Subra handed over a document on the proposed Little India to Datuk V.S. Mogan, the special officer to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, who is also MIC deputy president, for his attention.
-Bernama
