Malaysian Ethnic Indian Dilemma

The spate of violent crimes involving Malaysian Indian youths seems to be continuing since there are no proper implementation to stop them. About 63% of detainees under the emergency ordinance and 14% of detained juveniles are Malaysian Indians, which are the members of a minority community. Its clerly shows that our community is in “social crisis”. The latest case involving youths - shot dead of four Mamak gang members on Sept 1 2008.

Feeling marginalised and generally trapped in poverty, Malaysian Indian are lack of a caring and sharing from the Government. Feeling ostracise in all sectors - schools, institutions, enforcement agencies, government and corporate, they tend to seek a defence mechanism to overcome their woes and challenges. They organise themselves into groups or gangs provided youths for a sense of belonging. Some of the groups had developed links with forces of power and money which appear to be promoting and protecting them, even students in secondary schools are being influenced. The problems linked with poverty, after all gangsterism increases when those with power and money exploit the situation. I believed these problems are simple to solve if nation's politics was transformed beyond race and when after we started to think that its a national problem.

As a result of the developments in Malaysia, Malaysian Indian pushed from rural to urban poverty, from living in an estates to squatter areas. There are rapid urbanisation was putting pressure on them who lived in rubber estates. Most of the Malaysian Indians were forced to migrate to towns after the plantations they worked in were bought for development projects. Since lacked education and skills, they ended up in slum areas. Some children drop out of school, having to fend for families with inadequate incomes, and this provides a conducive climate for criminals to recruit young members.

Some institutions of the Government and the mainstream media are contributing to the creation of the 'problematic community' image. The Government has to seriously look at socio-economic inequalities beyond race. The low status and marginalisation of the community today is a result of vast problems. Tamil schools and education, for instance, as a national objective can begin the process of long-term resolution of the problems, including that of gangsterism. I sincerely believe that only education could save the children remedial and enrichment programmes should carried out soon. Besides that, the quality of living has to be improved, and infrastructure upgraded, including better housing, sanitation, roads, drainage, piped water and electricity.

Media reports of high crime statistics involving Malaysian Indians were out annually with such a high number of crime involving youths, but I wonder why there are hardly any serious discussion on the problem.