By Dr. Raman Letchumanan

Let’s face it. If not for Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wouldn’t be Prime Minister today.

Granted Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan won the most seats, but Zahid was instrumental in tipping the scale. It was a marriage of convenience between two sworn enemies to form this ‘unity’ government, but the scale can tip either way depending on how Zahid wants to behave. So what Zahid says or does is closely watched and analysed.

Fresh from the Cabinet directive to terminate all political appointments in government-linked entities, Zahid announced on Dec 16 the re-appointment of Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub as FELCRA Chairman because of popular support as he says. Anwar had to intervene saying the appointment is postponed pending an overall review of such appointments (The Edge Markets).

On Dec 24, Zahid announced the appointment of Datuk Seri K.N. Ramesh Rao as his special officer in charge of Indian affairs. Of course, this irked the other Indian political leaders who pointed to his controversies and service record to the Indian community. Ramesh, a staunch Anwar critic, apologized and now says Anwar is a god-sent PM, who has brilliant ideas to rebuild the country.

However, unlike appointments to government-linked entities, Zahid, as like any other minister has much leeway to appoint his trusted officers subject to service requirements. I believe what rattled other Indian leaders is his designation as in charge of Indian affairs. When only one Indian minister was appointed, Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar rightfully defended that Indian affairs should be the concern of all ministers, and there was an expectation that it will be helmed by the Prime Minister himself.

In any case, I am not interested in all these political machinations, but want to ask a basic question. Under the present circumstances why should the Indians be poor? To be categorized as the poor or disadvantaged will of course draw in government financing and support, and therefore political leaders want to seek the much-coveted title of “in charge of Indian affairs”.

Double minimum wage but no takers

What I narrate here is based on my personal experience, and I am sure many will relate to it. About 7 years ago, I left my professional career assignments and decided to spend quality time for myself in my hometown working on my 15-acre farm. I thought labour should not be an issue, considering the many Indians being jobless and in poverty. I was looking for farm machineries to clear my land and noticed most of the skilled operators are Indians working for ‘taukes’. And these taukes don’t want to take on small jobs like mine.

From these skilled operators, I learned they were only paid about RM80.00 a day, yet they bring in much revenue from the work they do. After much discussion, I spent a few hundred thousand ringgit buying these machineries. I paid them RM150 a day, and they could share in the profit of any jobs they acquire. Seven years later, after hiring about 10 operators and incurring heavy losses, I decided to mothball the machineries. I am sure you all may guess what happened.

In the last few years, because of the foreign labour crunch, many sectors such as agriculture, commerce, construction, retailing, and restaurants are crying out for workers. We read daily reports about restaurants offering up to RM2,500 per month; even local full-time maids, if one can get one, demand such salaries. Foreign caregivers charge as much as RM3,000 for basic services, which escalates depending on the time and services provided. Now they are charging by the hour.

Just the past week in my neighbourhood, I witnessed a foreign national demanding RM600 as labour charges to pave with cement the front portion of a single-story linked terrace house, measuring 20 feet by 6 feet. He was so much in demand that he completed 5 jobs and earned RM3,000 in just one week, working alone.

I am still looking for local workers, offering up to RM2,500 per month plus benefits, but no takers. If anyone thinks this is a dirty, dangerous and demeaning job, this is the job I have been doing for the last 7 years.

So did any of these Indian leaders ask themselves why Indians should be jobless or underpaid and be poor, rather than singing the same old mantra that Indians need help to improve themselves. In fact, why should they, when one looks at the amount of money the governments spends on Indians alone?

Indian aid squandered

It was reported that MIC, the doyen of the Indian community, reportedly received RM900 million for the development of Tamil schools, RM100 million for Indian places of worship and RM1.3 billion for the implementation of the Malaysian Indian Blueprint, since Najib became PM in 2009. It was also reported that 22 company managers were nabbed by MACC over mismanagement of funds issued by the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (MITRA). And don’t get me started on the late Samy Vellu era, where even RM100 million of poor peoples’ money were mismanaged through MAIKA Holdings.

So as usual, in this new government, political leaders shedding tears for the ‘improvised’ Indians are fighting for that pot of gold, which turns into scrap metal in the hands of the beneficiaries. And that means Indians by their own doing or in anticipation of government aid needed to be kept ‘poor’, with most research justifying such a sorry state of affairs.

But by some strange act of karma, GE15 has seen MIC and BN routed by the Indians whom they claim to represent and helped over half a century. Maybe there is an awakening among the Indian community saying enough is enough, and it is time to bet on Pakatan Harapan. There seems to be some reformation in the minds of the Indian community, but not among their political leaders.

Both Anwar and Zahid need to keep the Indian minority group in their fold, to counter the ‘green wave’ and bolster their support base. But Zahid seems to be spooking the Indian community by appointing a controversial character, and Anwar may need to intervene again to pacify the Indians. A case of ‘pillow-fight’?

My suggestion is that let’s not get into the same old model of putting Indian leaders in charge of Indian affairs. If Anwar believes in targeted needs-based aid, then only Indians who are disadvantaged, disabled, elderly, or sick should be given aid. And such aid should be delivered directly through the grassroots civil society who are working with these people, but not getting sufficient financing.

This will ensure 90% of government aid reaches the recipients, compared to general allocations managed by political organizations and government agencies. I can bet the budget allocation can be reduced by half compared to previous years. Certainly, there won’t be any more political rivalry among Indian leaders.

And those able-bodied, tell them to go find a job and not be choosy. This is what I tell them when they approach me for all kinds of donations.

Yet, I don’t hold my hopes high in this ‘unity’ but fragile government. The appointment of Ramesh is a start. Brickbats will continue among rival Indian leaders.

In the meantime, I am still looking for a couple of local workers, at twice the minimum wage, and without the government subsidy to top up. Any race is welcome.

Raman Letchumanan PhD, is a former Senior Fellow at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, a former director at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, and a former head of environment/disaster management at the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta.

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