Indians must unite to end marginalisation, poverty: PKR division chief

SHAH ALAM – The country’s Indian community must set aside its differences and unite in order to cease being marginalised and impoverished, said the Hulu Selangor PKR division chief.

Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan, who took the party post in the recent PKR elections, said the Indian community was still disenfranchised as the majority of its members stood within the B40 and M40 groups, despite being the third largest ethnic group in Malaysia.

After attending an Indian community assembly here recently, Dr Sathia told The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister publication Getaran that the community was still left behind others although there were a considerably sizable number of Indians holding the country’s important posts.

He added that the current state of affairs for the group was still at a dismal level.

“The Indian community must unite. It must cease all (internal) conflicts, disputes, and opposing views.”

“The old politics that depended on certain parties must end. You question what Pakatan Harapan (PH) had done in 22 months in government, but what has your party successfully solved? 

“It’s been decades, but the state of the Indian community is still the same,” he said, alluding to Indian-based BN component party MIC and its supporters.

Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan also said his involvement in politics is based on his resolve to empower marginalised Indians.

“Throughout my career as a doctor, there have been many unfortunate turns of events that I have experienced, including those that involved my own race,” he said.

“Although I am a professional, I am no exception when it came to poor treatment from those who are supposed to provide assistance.”

The medical practitioner also said he had a bad experience while seeking funds to build a hospital or medical facility for the people in Hulu Selangor.

“Around seven or eight years ago, I had tried to apply for assistance by bringing a proposal for a hospital to a government agency,” he said.

“The agency was given the mandate to improve and uplift the lives of the Indian community. 

“But I was shocked when they asked me to fork out RM5 million for the medical centre to become a reality.”

Dr Sathia said this was why he no longer believed in the rhetoric and sloganeering of certain quarters, as they tended to be propagated to protect certain personal interests.

He also said he would not have applied for assistance to build the medical facility if he had access to such funds.

On another matter, Dr Sathia – who founded a chain of clinics and SP Care medical centres – said the Selangor state government’s plan to provide free insurance coverage for the less fortunate will help raise their quality of life in a more pragmatic way.

He said the initiative announced by Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari recently would highly benefit the B40 groups, especially amid the rising costs of living.

“Many Malaysians are forced to cease making insurance contributions, including (paying for) medication as their financial situation did not allow it,” he said.

“With this initiative, they will at least be able to receive the best treatment (for their health conditions).” – The Vibes, September 13, 2022