Murray Hunter
Proposals for the betterment of the Indian community must factor in the question of political will
P Ramaamy
Jul 06, 2025
Silence or otherwise, there appear to be ongoing efforts by political parties and Indian NGOs to include an Indian socio-economic agenda in the upcoming 16th Malaysia Plan (16MP).
Within PKR, its deputy president Nurul Izzah—having emerged relatively unscathed from allegations of nepotism—has given the impression that she is taking steps to address the socio-economic challenges faced by the Indian community. Recently, she asserted that her silence should not be construed as disengagement from Indian concerns.
However, MIC deputy president M. Saravanan criticized her stance, arguing that working behind the scenes serves little purpose if the public remains unaware of what is being done. His criticism echoes a broader sentiment within the Indian community: if Nurul is indeed helping, why the secrecy?
Is she embarrassed to be associated with Indian issues?
Is she afraid of alienating the Malay electorate?
Or does she simply not want to be visibly linked to the Indian cause?
Nurul must be transparent and forthright. If she is genuinely working to uplift the Indian community, there should be no hesitation in making those efforts visible.
Meanwhile, the MIC and several Indian NGOs have been active in drafting detailed proposals for inclusion in the 16MP. Some of these proposals are thoughtful and worthy of serious consideration. However, the effectiveness of such proposals depends not only on their content but on the political will of the government to implement them.
This is the crux of the issue: while these political parties and NGOs are working diligently, they appear to be doing so in a vacuum. Proposals, no matter how comprehensive or well-structured, are futile if the government lacks the political commitment to act.
We have seen this before. Under previous administrations—especially during the Barisan Nasional (BN) era—Indian concerns were routinely sidelined. However, former Prime Minister Najib Razak, to his credit, made some meaningful efforts: he approved new Tamil schools and increased Indian student intake into matriculation programmes. Though he had doubts about channeling funds through the MIC, he at least explored alternatives.
The present government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, however, presents an even more concerning picture. Before presenting proposals, Indian leaders—political or civil society—must first assess whether this administration has the political will to address Indian issues in a meaningful way.
If Anwar cannot even appoint a single Tamil Indian minister—a tradition since independence—what hope is there that he will seriously consider Indian socio-economic needs? If he can unilaterally relocate a 130-year-old Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year to make way for a Madani Mosque, what confidence can Indians have in his commitment to fairness or pluralism?
It is hard to believe that Nurul Izzah, his daughter, would depart significantly from her father’s approach.
Thus, before continuing to churn out elaborate proposals, Indian political parties and NGOs must first confront the fundamental question: Does this government possess the political will to act on them? If the answer is no, then strategy—not just substance—must change.
Jul 06, 2025
Silence or otherwise, there appear to be ongoing efforts by political parties and Indian NGOs to include an Indian socio-economic agenda in the upcoming 16th Malaysia Plan (16MP).
Within PKR, its deputy president Nurul Izzah—having emerged relatively unscathed from allegations of nepotism—has given the impression that she is taking steps to address the socio-economic challenges faced by the Indian community. Recently, she asserted that her silence should not be construed as disengagement from Indian concerns.
However, MIC deputy president M. Saravanan criticized her stance, arguing that working behind the scenes serves little purpose if the public remains unaware of what is being done. His criticism echoes a broader sentiment within the Indian community: if Nurul is indeed helping, why the secrecy?
Is she embarrassed to be associated with Indian issues?
Is she afraid of alienating the Malay electorate?
Or does she simply not want to be visibly linked to the Indian cause?
Nurul must be transparent and forthright. If she is genuinely working to uplift the Indian community, there should be no hesitation in making those efforts visible.
Meanwhile, the MIC and several Indian NGOs have been active in drafting detailed proposals for inclusion in the 16MP. Some of these proposals are thoughtful and worthy of serious consideration. However, the effectiveness of such proposals depends not only on their content but on the political will of the government to implement them.
This is the crux of the issue: while these political parties and NGOs are working diligently, they appear to be doing so in a vacuum. Proposals, no matter how comprehensive or well-structured, are futile if the government lacks the political commitment to act.
We have seen this before. Under previous administrations—especially during the Barisan Nasional (BN) era—Indian concerns were routinely sidelined. However, former Prime Minister Najib Razak, to his credit, made some meaningful efforts: he approved new Tamil schools and increased Indian student intake into matriculation programmes. Though he had doubts about channeling funds through the MIC, he at least explored alternatives.
The present government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, however, presents an even more concerning picture. Before presenting proposals, Indian leaders—political or civil society—must first assess whether this administration has the political will to address Indian issues in a meaningful way.
If Anwar cannot even appoint a single Tamil Indian minister—a tradition since independence—what hope is there that he will seriously consider Indian socio-economic needs? If he can unilaterally relocate a 130-year-old Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year to make way for a Madani Mosque, what confidence can Indians have in his commitment to fairness or pluralism?
It is hard to believe that Nurul Izzah, his daughter, would depart significantly from her father’s approach.
Thus, before continuing to churn out elaborate proposals, Indian political parties and NGOs must first confront the fundamental question: Does this government possess the political will to act on them? If the answer is no, then strategy—not just substance—must change.
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