IPOH, July 8 — Fifty groups from the Perak Indian Associations and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Alliance today urged Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu to appoint an Indian representative in the current state administration to keep an eye on the affairs of the Indian community here.
Persatuan Ajaran Guru Arunagirinathan Ipoh’s Dr Jayabalan Valliapan, who represented the groups, said that they want the mentri besar to appoint a representative from MIC to manage the welfare of the Indian community in Perak.
“We don’t have an Indian representative in the current state government.
“And even though the mentri besar has said that he will take care of the affairs of both Indians and Chinese, we still want our people because it’s easier to approach if the person is from our community,” he told reporters in front of the State Secretariat Building here.
He said that an Indian representative could better relay the views of the Indian community and the NGOs to the mentri besar.
“We would prefer if the representative is from MIC, because the party has been representing us all this while. They were doing a good job.
“We believe MIC is the only political party that carried out Indian agendas. And the party leaders are close to the community,” he said.
“We want a political leader from MIC to be appointed as the mentri besar’s special advisor,” he added.
He also alleged that the Indian community in the state did not benefit much from the aid provided by the state government during the movement control order (MCO) due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as it was managed by an outsider.
“We don’t want an outsider to manage our welfare and affairs. We want someone from here.
“The Indian community in Buntong and other few places did not benefit much from the aid. Only one particular NGO was getting all the aid during the MCO,” he said.
Meanwhile, Karthikesan Periasamy, from the Perak Indian Newspaper Distribution Association (Pinda) said that the groups suggested a leader from the Indian political party because it has experience in handling problems and issues faced by the community.
“For 60 years, the party has been taking care of the welfare of the Indian community in the country. The leaders know very well our needs and problems,” he said.
Earlier, the groups submitted a memorandum on the matter to the Mentri Besar Office’s assistant administration officer Asad Safwan Mazlan in front of the State Secretariat Building.
