Samy Vellu's Desperate Statistics Juggling Act

MIC President Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu Sunday unveiled a host of statistics on various affirmative action plans in financial aid and other assistance provided to the Indian community to counter allegations by opposition groups that the community had been neglected by the government.

In a blow-by-blow account of the various aid programmes to produce better trained and skilled Indians for the job market, he said the government had provided a grant of RM300 million over the last few years to build the MIC-run Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) University in Kedah.

Almost RM100 million was allocated under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to assist in the rebuilding of fully-aided and partially-aided Tamil schools, of which RM30 million were approved recently, he said.

"The government also gave us an initial grant of RM8 million to build the TAFE College in Seremban, which has to-date produced 44,000 para-professionals," he said in a statement to refute allegations that the government did nothing or little to help the Indian community.

The Opposition, he said, has spread "lies after lies" to win the election.

"They tell the people that this Barisan Nasional government does not help Indians. They are the greatest liars."

Samy Vellu said the federal government also allocated RM1 million annually for the building of temples besides apart from providing land for their establishment.

"For the first time, Indian students were allowed into Giat Mara centres to pursue their education," he said, adding that over 1,000 Indians had benefitted from this move.

He said the government also provided places for high achieving Indian youths at Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSM). "These institutions were traditionally accessible to only Bumiputera youths.However, through the efforts of MIC, Indian youths have begun to have access these resources now," he said.

Samy Vellu also said that Indians youths received a special allocation of RM4 million through the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister's Department in 2007 of which RM1 million was allocated to 200 Indians from urban poor families who could not secure a place in an existing skills training institute.

The remaining RM3 million had been used as a revolving micro loan fund with Yayasan Tekun, he said.

He said the government also allocated RM5.4 million to the MIC-run Social Strategic Foundation to undertake social programmes between 2004 and 2008.

Under the 2008 Budget, the Finance Ministry allocated RM3 million for micro loans of RM3,000 each through Amanah Ikthiar Malaysia for 1,000 Indians who are undertaking or interested to undertake micro businesses.

The government also allocated RM5 million to enable 1,000 Indian youths who had failed their PMR or SPM examinations to enrol themselves in skills training courses plus residential facilities and pocket allowance through Giat Mara, INPENS International College in Pulau Indah and other state-run skills training institutes.

"I want to ask the opposition:tell me what are your plans for the Indians and what have you done for them?"

Sammy Vellu said all the Opposition was interested in was to attack and belittle the BN government.

"They have no (concrete) plans to help the Indians," he stressed. (Bernama)

***** Add up the numbers mentioned by Semi Value and you'll realise that it works out to a minute fraction of that allocated, disbursed and spent on the privileged 'groups'.

On a national level the ' financial aid' he is talking about is just pittance, alms for a beggar. The RM1 million for temples won't even be enough to restore the ones destroyed by the bastards in the local authorities. Even this miserable amount he talks so grandly about doesn't differentiate between what is supposedly 'allocated' and what has actually been disbursed to the target groups.

Given Sam's culpability in the Maika and Telekom shares debacle, no one is really going to either believe him or trust his silly statistics.
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