Human Rights Party's pro-tem secretary general P Uthayakumar accuses the government of using the Indians for 'dirty, difficult and dangerous (3D) jobs' only.
According to him, the Indian poor earns RM450 a month, which is way below the poverty margin of RM786.
He added that the Indians are only employed in the industrial manual group (IMG).
“(Only) in 1Malaysia are the Indian poor only wanted as unskilled labourers, office boys, security guards, cleaners, tea ladies, drivers etc in the IMG group to do the 3D (Dirty, Difficult and Dangerous) jobs,” he said in a press statement.
Citing a case where 27 vehicles were torched last month in Desa Mentari, Uthayakumar blamed the government for the urban poverty and social problems beleaguring the Indian poor.
“This urban poverty and the ensuing social problems among the Indian poor arise largely because of the 55 years of state-sponsored inequality, inequal opportunities and inequal upward mobility opportunities in the name of affirmative action for one community,” he said.
Uthayakumar, who was detained under the Internal Security Act for mobilising the Indian poor in 2007, also suggested that affirmative action currently enjoyed by the Malays be given to the poor.
“Why not affirmative action for all the poor including the Indian poor? After all, we are supposed to be 1Malaysia. And we are also supposed to be multi- racial.”
Provide them with opportunities
He also urged the federal government to provide self-employment and entrepreneural opportunities for Indians in land schemes and the business sector.
“The Umno-led 1Malaysian government must be fair and create and grant self-employment and entrepreneural opportunities in Felda, Felcra, Risda etc, grant food, Chendol and drink stalls nationwide.
“Also at highway rest areas, local council stalls, outside LRT, railway and bus stations, shopping complexes and the roadside, flower, vegetable etc stalls and licenses, tourist guides, vans etc. How come we do not see the Indians doing these businesses in 1Malaysia?” he asked.
Uthayakumar, a lawyer by profession, also called for equal skill training opportunities and business loan facilities to be given to Indians.
“Equal skills training opportunities in the local neighbourhood Giat Mara, community colleges, vocational and technical colleges etc should be provided.
“Billions of ringgit given out by Tekun, AIM, Bank Rakyat, Bank Industri, Bank Islam business loans (should also be provided for the Indian poor),” he added.
Uthayakumar also complained about the lack of recreational facilities for the Indian poor living in low-cost flats.
“There is almost zero recreational facilities accessible to them in and around the Indian poor working class squatter colonies and (now) the low-cost flats. At Pantai Dalam congested low-cost flats, for instance, with some 150 Indian poor families they don’t even have one Indian stall downstairs their flats for especially the youths to ‘lepak’,” he said.
Uthayakumar said that if the Indian poor have decent permanent jobs, skill training, business opportunities and upward mobility opportunities they would not be engulfed with social ills.
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