Community asked to vote in state elections for political stability and change
PETALING JAYA: Dozens of political parties, civil society groups, and captains of industry will gather today to rally behind Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s government, demonstrating a show of Indian unity in the country. They are also urging the Indian community to come out and vote in the state polls.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari is expected to attend the event organized by the Selangor Indian Consultative Council (SICC) at the Midlands Convention Centre in Shah Alam at 3 pm today.
“The meeting is intended to bring together all stakeholders of the Indian community, including political parties, professional organizations, and cultural groups,” said SICC chairman Charles Santiago.
However, Santiago acknowledged that many in the community feel that their contributions are sometimes denied and there is insufficient support for them. He said the meeting would be an opportunity to demonstrate their unity in seeking solutions.
“The meeting is also aimed at gaining the support of the Indian community. Currently, there is some wavering support for Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional,” he said.
“Now is not the time to withhold your vote. Now is the time to come out. Regardless of any suspicions you may have, you have to come out and have faith in the government,” he said.
“With this Prime Minister, we can engage in dialogues. He understands the problems of the community and has pledged to work with community leaders to solve them,” he added. Santiago also mentioned that the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has agreed to participate and that their issues with the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) are separate from this initiative.
The hour-long event will feature leaders expressing their support for Anwar’s unity government, with participants from several states.
SP Nathan, coordinator of i25, an umbrella body of 22 Indian-based NGOs, confirmed his group’s attendance and urged the Prime Minister’s Office to consider an action plan for Indians.
“It could be the Madani Empowerment Plan for Indians (MEP4I), developed by the SICC in 2022, or any other plan proposed by Indian groups. But we need a plan,” he said.
Nathan emphasized the need for a stable government to execute such a plan.
“The opposition claims that if they win the state elections, they can bring about change in Putrajaya. i25 recognizes that the federal government will remain intact regardless, but there will be political instability. This instability will divert the federal government’s attention, and they may not focus on the interests of minorities,” he said.
He believed that opposition success in the elections would lead to instability until 2027.
“The Indian community would lose another four years,” he concluded.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
