PROTEST NOTE
“BUDGET 2008,
NO ALLOCATION FOR THE 523 TAMIL SCHOOLS AND THE 70% POOR AND HARDCORE POOR INDIANS”.
To
Y.A.B.DATO SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI PRIME MINISTER AND FINANCE MINISTER OF MALAYSIA
DATE : 12.09.2007
TIME : 2.00PM
VENUE : PARLIAMENT HOUSE
BY
HINDRAF
(Hindu Rights Action Force)
No. 135-3-A, Jalan Toman 7,
Kemayan Square,
70200 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.
Tel : 06-7672995/03-22825421, Fax: 03-22825616
Email waytha@hotmail.com
Website:www.policewatchmalaysia.com
INTRODUCTION
“With all due respect we refer to the above matter and regret to note that for the RM176.9 Billion (NST 8-9-2007 pg 2) 2008 budget proposal tabled in Parliament on 7.9.2007 by your goodself, no specific allocations have been made to make all 523 Tamil schools fully aided and for the 70% poor and hardcore poor Indians to be taken out of poverty.
We applaude the UMNO controlled government’s allocation of RM170 Million allocation for the Orang Asli (native) poor for housing assistance and social amenities. (The Star 8.9.2007 pgN10), RM380 Million allocation for the Sarawak native poor and the RM800, 000 allocation for a pilot project to address orang asli student high drop out rates (NST 9-9-2007 pg3), RM4 Billion has been allocated for projects to improve the quality of life in Sabah and RM4 Billion has been set aside for development projects in Sarawak. However no allocations have been made for the Malaysian Indians, 70% of whom are in the poor and hardcore poor category.
We append hereinbelow the 2008 Budget proposals which obviously leaves the Indians out yet again in the 50th Year of Independence and that also marginalizes Tamil Schools and especially the 70% poor and hardcore poor Indians as follows:-
1. RM12 Billion for implementation of higher education projects and programmes – University Technology Mara will receive a (big) part of the allocation to increase its student enrolment to 200,000 by 2010 (The Star 8.9.2007 pg N8)
2. 480 Million for Giat Mara, Industrial Training Institute (ILP) and National Youth training Institute (NST 8-9-2007 pg 11).
3. RM400 Million to Pelaburan Hartanah Bumiputera Berhad (PHBB) to increase bumiputera property investment in IDR (Iskandar) NST 8-9-2007 pg 10).
4. RM30 Billion for primary and secondary schools, RM500,000.00 for each cluster school for co-curricular activities training and educational equipment (The Star 8-9-2007 pg N6)
5. Cost of living expenses double up to 97% for PSD scholarship students in the US, Britain and Canada (NST 8-9-2007 pg N8)
6. More than 90, 000 students at local higher learning institutions will enjoy a higher cost of living allowance (cola). Students will see an increase from 23% to 84%. (NST 8-9-2007 pg )
7. 2 Billion for government training agencies to produce more and better trained workers (The Star 8-9-2007 pgN12)
8. RM550 Million to upgrage polytechnic and community colleges (NST 8-9-2007 pg N11).
9. RM750 Million for the construction of Advanced Technology Training Centre (ADTEC) in Taiping and on Industrial Training Institute Construction of eight Mara Science Junior Colleges four Mara skills training institutes and 28 Giat Mara centres. (NST 8-9-2007 pg 11).
10. RM100 Million to train 50,000 workers (NST 8-9-2007 pg11).
11. 12 Billion (Weekend Mail 8-9-2007 pg19) for community colleges which will undergo a rebreeding exercise.
12. RM381 Million for implementation of low cost housing, housing programmes- 50 Million allocated to BSN and Bank Islam (The Star 8-9-2007 pg N10) to kick start the scheme beginning 1.1.2008.
13. The RM50 Million fund to guarantee housing loans (The Star 6-9-2007 pg N10) meant for by those without fixed income deliberately and specifically did not include the aging and poor Indian plantation workers who are in need of this very basic necessity the most ie shelter.
14. RM331 Million for poverty eradication programmes. (NST 8/9/2007 pg14)
15. RM680 Million for the construction of rural and village roads, RM462 Million for rural water and electricity supply projects as well as RM70 Million for social amenities and RM15 Million for ICT education in rural areas. (NST 8/9/2007 pg14)
16. RM8 Billion yearly Salary increase.(New Sunday Times 9/9/2007 PG8).
17. RM3.8 Billion to improve facilities and encourage research at Universities (Nst 9/9/2007 pg12)
18. We are disappointed that no provisions were made for the minimum wage of RM1,000.00 per month and the 5 years maternity leave to take care of and to bring up quality children granted to civil servants as announced by your goodselves two (2) weeks ago was not extended to the private sector.
NOTE: THE ABOVE IS DESIGNED / TAILORED TO MERELY
BENEFIT THE ESTIMATED 97% MALAY MUSLIMS).
We note the UMNO controlled government’s “overplaying” and gimmick in the print and electronic media which highlighted the RM60.00 per hour for degree holders and RM50.00 for diploma holders to teach Mandarin or Tamil in National Schools (NST 8-9-2007 pg4) it is estimated that only in 3% of National Schools are Chinese and Tamil thought as a subject during school hours despite the very many repeated empty promises having been made to teach Tamil and Chinese in all national schools over the last 50 years and which is also a main proposal to the Reid Commission in 1956.
VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
Article 8 of the Federal Constitution provides for Equality before the law “All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law”.
The Budget 2008 proposal is in direct violation of Article 12 (Rights in respect of education)
“Without prejudice to the generality of Article 8, there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth –
(a) In the administration of any educational institution maintained by a public authority, and in particular the admission of pupils or students or the payment of fees; or
(b) In providing out of the funds of a public authority financial aid for the maintenance or education of pupils or students in any education institution (whether or not maintained by a public authority and whether within or outside the Federation
Even after 50 years of independence, all 523 Tamil schools in Malaysia are yet to be made fully aided on the excuse that most of them are on privately owned land especially plantation land. This problem can be solved by the stoke of a pen by invoking Section 3 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 and acquiring all the said privately owned land Tamil schools are sitting on and then converting them into fully aided government schools and allocating them a budget befitting of a worthy school and / or being treated equal to a national school.
In any event there are many national schools in privately owned land and being granted full aid by the government but when it comes to Tamil Schools, a different set of rules applies.
Note: The Chinese Schools have the economically powerful business community to help them out financially and most do not need government assistance to be in existence.
APPEAL
We hereby appeal that the budget be adjusted accordingly to include a RM990 Million allocation to “liberate” all 523 Tamil primary schools into fully aided primary schools at least in conjunction with Malaysia having been independent for 50 years and to give effect to your goodselves declaration that “schooling will be totally free in Malaysia, says PM” (NST 8.9.2007 pg2) (which in effect excludes Tamil school pupils) and another 2 Billion (only about 1.2% of the total 2008 budget) to help the 70% poor and hardcore poor Indians out their state of poverty as per the 18 point demand forwarded to your goodselves at Putrajaya on 12.8.2007.
After all in the latest Auditor General’s Audit Report “RM1.4 Billion more (additional has been paid out) for navy vessels “unjustified” (over and above the original purchase price of RM5.35 Billion. (The Sun 11.9.2007 pg5) and an (exorbitant) RM19,000.00 helmet for the Fire and Rescue Department (NST 8/9/2007 pg18)
No allocations have been made to address Indian student high dropout rates from especially primary and secondary schools. We hereby appeal that a further sum of RM100, 000.00 per Tamil school be allocated for this purpose.
CONCLUSION
We understand the government policy of wanting to “memperkasakan” (empower) national schools. Our reply to quote Confuscious is “A thousand mile journey begins with a single step” Stop the institutionalised racial discrimination and Islamic extremism in schools and in the country. Not only the national schools but the whole country would become “diperkasakan” (empowered). After all we are all Malaysians.
Lastly we hereby call upon the UMNO controlled government to treat all Malaysians including the Malaysian Indians as human beings and not as fourth class citizens after the Malays, Chinese and many muslim foreign workers just because the Indians do not have much political, economic or international clout.
Thank You
Yours Faithfully
P.Uthayakumar
Legal Adviser
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