I read with interest Dr Subra's news on Malaysiakini and I must say I am a tad amused.
The headline reads:
Subra: New plans show Indians not marginalised.
Dr S goes on to reveal that
" Among the key decisions or those agreed in principle by the government at the cabinet committee include:
- To convert 372 partially-aided Tamil schools into fully-assisted schools.
- Consolidate schools which had an enrolment of less than 50 students.
- To ensure at least eight percent of Indian representation at all levels in the civil service. To achieve that, it will also see more promotions for Indian civil servants.
- The MIC-run Asian Institute for Medicine, Science and Technology (Aimst) to be re-categorised as one of the five private universities which recognise government-sponsored students to boost the intake of Indian students into critical sectors like medicine and engineering. At present, students who receive government scholarship were only given a list of choice of universities which does not include Aimst.
- To allow Indian contractors to take part in government projects at all levels. For government’s mega projects, it is suggested that certain sub-contract jobs be given to Indian contractors.
- Indian entrepreneurs to be given more opportunities in the development of vendor development scheme through companies like state-owned oil firm Petronas and national car-maker Proton.
- Easier access to government loans for Indian entrepreneurs.
- More taxi and bus permits for Indian companies.
- To increase the Indian corporate equity from the current 1.1 percent to 1.5 percent in 2010. To do this, the government is planning to set up a unit trust scheme based on the Permodalan Nasional Berhad model to allow Indians to invest in the scheme to increase their equity in the market."
Looks okay on print but is there going to be some machinery keeping tabs on these deliverables. Dr S of all persons should know that we need KPIs and they come with quantifiable output against time frame or deadlines and i dont see them in the items listed above.
It is high time MIC had professionals come together to plan, strategise and then achieve all of the items listed above but more importantly, MIC needs to be heard by the Indian community at large. Is MIC loud enough anymore??? One man speaking inside a cave with his voice amplified for himself will not do, not anymore. Dr S, we need people who can walk the talk. People who make statements come and go and so do people who make SDs, they come, go and then disappear but we need real people with real actions.
