THE Selangor government will form a council to coordinate Indian-based business and socioeconomic efforts in the state, Charles Santiago said today.

Calling it the Selangor Indian Coordination Council, the Klang MP said it was among the commitments made for the Indian community by Selangor Menteri Besar Amiruddin Shari.

“We are very pleased that the menteri besar is on board because shaping the new Indian narrative should be premised on a public-public partnership, where people and government work together in enabling the community.

“On top of the pledges made by Amirudin, I have also suggested that the state and federal governments make firm commitments to alleviate poverty among the Indians, by targeting 10,000 Indians within Selangor and 50,000 throughout the country.

“It’s about time we take the Indian community in Malaysia seriously through the inclusion of their concerns in development and poverty-reduction processes,” the DAP lawmaker said in a statement today.

Citing the 2017 Malaysian Indian Blueprint (MIB) findings, he said that it revealed depressing socioeconomic conditions of Malaysian Indians.

He added that the Covid-19 pandemic, December 2021 floods, and the rising cost of living have further impacted Indian B40 families.

Santiago added that the menteri besar is committed to support B40 Indian students at the Ladang Midlands hostel.

“Capacity-building programmes for B40 children will commence within the next few months and by January 2023, the hostel will begin to operate and accommodate up to 100 students,” he added.

Santiago said Selangor will also consider increasing technical and vocational education and training (TVET) education for B40 Indian children to reduce school dropouts and provide an alternative skills carrier path with a higher income potential.

Santiago said 100 participants from 65 different Selangor-based civil society groups attended the workshop, and developed 25 proposals to set a new narrative for the Indian community for the next five years. – July 5, 2022.