The MIC is the only party representing the Indian Malaysian community’s interests in the cabinet, asserted party president S Samy Vellu.

He was contesting a recent claim by T Murugiah, a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, that the premier had endorsed him as the community’s representative.

Murugiah, the PPP Youth head, was sworn in as a senator on April 21 and then assigned his cabinet post.However, Samy Vellu said Dr S Subramaniam , the human resources minister and MIC secretary-general, is “the sole minister representing the Indian community”.“Many Indians in need of help approach MIC now and the party takes good care of the needs of the community. We solve their problems,” he said yesterday, after a meeting with Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein at Parliament House.

Samy Vellu said he had also raised the need for funds to build and refurbish Tamil schools, as many of these are dilapidated. “A couple of years ago we asked for RM16.5million funds to build 18 Tamil schools. The education ministry approved the funds, but channeled only RM6.98 million to the public works department,” he said. “So far we have started building seven schools in Ulu Tiram, Batu Empat (Klang), Bandar Baru Salak (Salak Tinggi), Kalaimagal (Sungai Petani), Ladang Wellesley (Lunas) Senawang(Seremban) and Kajang (Selangor).”

On April 23, Works Minister Mohd Zin Mohamed said that tenders to repair 40 Tamil schools nationwide would be opened for bidding by May. The projects worth RM41.5 million are expected to start in July, under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Additional requests Samy Vellu further said he has requested the government for “two new licences” - to buy a plot of land for a new RM5.5 million Tamil school in Payar Besar, Lunas, and to build another Tamil school in Sungai Siput, Perak, as the current premises are too small.

Another request was for all Tamil schools to be converted from partially funded to fully funded one. “The minister has given me confidence that everything will be taken care of systematically.
“Hishammuddin is quite positive about certain things and I’m very happy (that) we can clean up these Tamil schools problems during his (tenure),” said Samy Vellu.“I feel this is our government...we can always see them, talk to them and make them understand our problems.”