By P.Ramasamy

What the MIC has done or not done to address the tragic plight of Tamils in Malaysia or elsewhere is not a topic for debate anymore. It could have been a hot topic of debate a few decades ago. However, the passage of time and the colossal failure of the party to address Tamil issues have rendered such a topic meaningless.

It serves no purpose other than to waste valuable time for the MIC Youth Chief C Sivarraajh to say that the MIC has done much for Tamils on matters like raising funds for the war victims and those affected by the civil war in Sri Lanka.

MIC might have raised some funds, but what else did the party do to address the political, social and cultural issues of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Being under the total control of Umno, the party has miserably failed to take up issues of not only Tamils in Sri Lanka, but in Malaysia.

Sivarraajh arrogantly suggests readers could find out more about MIC activities by going through Google. Yes, googling can provide some indication of the efforts of the party, but at the same time there are tons of material that might show how the party has betrayed and marginalised the Tamil community in Malaysia, let alone Tamils elsewhere.

Sorry, there is no need to “educate” the Malaysian Tamil public about the MIC. What the MIC has done for the community in the last few decades and how it abandoned the poor and marginalised community is public knowledge. Sometimes it is pointless to re-visit the history of the party and how it has become “enslaved” by the forces unleashed by Umno.

Anybody can write masters or doctoral theses about any topic. I have written a magnum opus on the plight of the plantation workers in Malaysia and how Indian-based unions and political parties abandoned the plantation worker community.

Those in glass houses should not boast about writing theses to extol the virtues of their political parties. On this matter, there is nothing for the MIC leaders to “celebrate” the virtues of the party nor is there data for them to rely on. However, there is abundant data that might indicate how the party is composed of self-seeking leaders who hijacked major economic projects that were meant for the advancement of the Tamil community.

Maika Holdings shares meant for the community were hijacked by three companies a few decades ago that had nothing to with the welfare and well-being of the community. Many examples could be given how the party abandoned the poor Tamil community to enrich the lives of a few leaders and their families.

It is not my intention to ridicule the MIC or its leaders. Much has been said about the party and its debacle in Malaysian politics. What irks me is that despite all the negativity about the party, yet there are some leaders who visited Sri Lanka, totally oblivious to the suffering of the Tamils there, to glorify the efforts of the racist Sri Lankan Government that had caused untold sufferings to Tamils.

My simple message to MIC leaders: if you cannot help the Tamils, then please do not humiliate or betray them.

P Ramasamy is Deputy Chief Minister II Penang.

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