No need for special Budget allocations to specific Malaysian ethnic groups - Indian Malaysians, Chinese Malaysians, Indonesian Malaysians, Thai Malaysians, Brunei Malaysians, Filipino Malaysians... allocations must be ethnic-free for ALL Malaysians, and disbursed/utilized through the Ministry not any ethnic based entity or NGO. Why? The risk of discriminatory disbursements by reason of class, religious, sub-ethnic groups, political party affiliations...During BN era, this was done by the ethnic based parties(MIC/MCA/UMNO) - but the problem was that it may have not reached ALL because of disbursing groups in-built discrimination... So, best that all be managed and disbursed through government Ministries/Departments..
Chinese Malaysians - NOT just 'Chinese' - that is how we refer to Malaysians of Chinese heritage whose forefathers may have come from China, etc. Indian Malaysians... [In Indonesia, I believe all are Indonesians > there is no 'continuous re-enforcement', as in Malaysia, that some of us are different by the always insistence that we identify as Chinese or Indians even in government forms/documents> Is it not time, that Malaysia changes and stop emphasizing ethnic differences to 'divide' the Malaysian people.
The allocation for Indian Malaysians, etc in the recent BUDGET is simply 'RACIST', in my opinion, - it ignores the fact that there as so many different ethnics whose forefathers were from different countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia >> why no allocations for these minority groups?
True, the Chinese Malaysians and the Indian Malaysians are the biggest group after Malays in Semenanjung > why ignore other minor ethnic groups? So, ALL Malaysians must be treated equally - and budget allocations must be for ALL maybe for targeted groups like the poor, the marginalized, young people, etc
Malaysia achieved independence in 1957, and was united with Sabah and Sarawak in 1963 - but to date, we are still being treated based on ethnicity, based on where our fore fathers came from, religion - when really all of us in Malaysia ought to be treated equally. It is OK for special preferences for the groups listed in Article 153 - but for the rest it should not be ethnic or religious based.
Allocation for Indian Malaysians no need? Just a common allocation, where all including Malaysian Indians can get assistance...
Now, let us look at the PM Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Harapan led-government, and we see budget allocations for particular ethnic groups...why is that? It could have been allocations to help B40 or M40, without reference to any particular groups. It could be allocations to poorer Malaysians for the development of business, etc
Sivakumar also shared that RM100 million had been allocated to the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) while another RM30 million was provided through the Usaha Niaga Group Economic Fund (Tekun) for the Indian Micro-Entrepreneur Financing Scheme.
But, here there is in the Budget allocation specific to Indian Malaysians - are the Sri Lankan Malaysians, the Pakistani Malaysians, the Indonesian Malaysians, the Thai Malaysians and many other ethnic groups forgotten?
V. Sivakumar(DAP) - the spokesperson just because he is Indian Malaysian and Hindu? ABSURD. Responsibility for Indian Malaysian citizens rest on the PM and government in Malaysia...
Why did Human Resource Minister V. Sivakumar talk about this, and meeting the Finance Minister about such issues and about non-Muslim places of worship? Are the non-Malaysian Indian and Muslim Ministers/Deputy Ministers and MPs not concerned about this issue simply because it concerns Malaysians not from his/her ethnic group?
If the government was still under the Alliance(later renamed Barisan Nasional), then maybe there will be some justification as the main component parties were ethnic based political parties - UMNO(United Malay National Organisation), MCA(Malaysian Chinese Association) and MIC(Malaysian Indian Congress) - because in that scenario the Indian Malaysian party will want to SHOW that it is concerned about Indian Malaysian - who is the said party's members.
But here, we have V. Sivakumar >> from Pakatan Harapan, and DAP(Democratic Action Party)? Now, is DAP the new 'representative' of Malaysian Indians, and non-Muslims in Malaysia? Why is there no one from PKR - a 'so-called multi-ethnic multi-religious' party? Remember DAP also is a multi-ethnic multi-religious' party. Even Parti Amanah Negara, the 3rd member of PH, is a multi-ethnic multi-religious party where anyone irrespective of ethnicity or religion can become a member.
4.1 Keahlian Parti adalah terbuka kepada semua rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira bangsa, kepercayaan atau
jantina
Now, in the BUDGET, if special allocation is made specifically for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak, as per Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, then it is reasonable and justifiable. But all other allocations, it must be for all Malaysians, irrespective of where their grandfathers or great grandfathers came from. There could be targeted allocation based on poverty(B40 or M40), youth and women.
153 Reservation of quotas in respect of services, permits, etc., for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak...
REMOVE RACIST ELEMENTS FROM THE BUDGET - and remember that all Malaysians voted for all the MPs, and the government of the day. The government of the day must use MONIES and power to help/assist ALL irrespective of party affiliation, religion, ethnicity, etc - only criteria of preference may be things like poverty
There is NO WAY how you can say who vote for PH based on ethnicity - as our votes are 'SECRET' - Even the different channels at voting centers are based on AGE-groups, not ethnicity. You may be able to analyze how older and younger citizens - but there is really no way to find out how many Malays voted for any party >> only a guess. In any constituent, one may vote because of who the candidate is - not because of who the party is.
Remember that the recent education and public service issue - did not the government take the position is that there is NO DISCRIMINATION based on ethnicity/religion in Malaysia?
Budget 2023: Sivakumar to discuss allocations for non-Muslim houses of worship with Finance Ministry
BATU GAJAH: Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar will meet the Finance Ministry to discuss the details of allocations for non-Muslim houses of worship in the 2023 Budget.
Sivakumar, who is also the sole Hindu minister in the cabinet, said this was because it was the first time Hindu temples (as part of non-Muslim houses of worship) had received allocations from the government in a national budget.
"Yesterday, Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) announced an allocation of RM50 million for the maintenance and repairs of non-Muslim houses of worship.
"This includes houses of worship for Hindus, Buddhists and
Christians. The move will benefit all the communities," he said after
officiating the MYFuture Jobs Career Carnival and Housewives' Social
Security Scheme 2023 at the Silverlakes Village Outlet here today.
Sivakumar also shared that RM100 million had been allocated to the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) while another RM30 million was provided through the Usaha Niaga Group Economic Fund (Tekun) for the Indian Micro-Entrepreneur Financing Scheme.
Anwar, who is also finance minister, announced RM50 million for the maintenance and overhaul of non-Muslim houses of worship throughout the country, and RM900 million for the maintenance of all schools, including Tamil schools, when he presented the 2023 Budget in Parliament yesterday. — BERNAMA
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