SEREMBAN: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced Wednesday (July 29) night that he will personally oversee the affairs of the Indian community from now on.
The Prime Minister said that while Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan had previously been managing these responsibilities, taking direct charge demonstrates his profound commitment to resolving the community's challenges.
"Ramanan can still continue to look after Mitra, Sara and the assistance given by the government to the community via Tekun and the Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia programmes.
"But if you allow me, I would like to take charge to show I am serious about Indian issues.
"I promise you that I will try my best," he said in his speech at a dinner with the community.
Anwar said the country needed visionary leaders so that the different races could continue to live in peace and harmony.
"It was this government that increased the Mitra allocations for the Indian community, allowed automatic enrolment into matriculation colleges for those with 10As and allowed Indians access to Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia that, among others, provided them with targeted microfinance loans.
"Please at least acknowledge that, because on the other side, some people are whacking me every day saying that Anwar only looks after the other communities," he said, urging the people to reject racial narratives and divisive polemics.
Anwar said it was also the Madani government which had helped many Indians to get their citizenships in the past three-and-a-half-years.
"I met an old Indian man during the Kuala Kubu Baru by-election and he told me that despite being born in this country in 1947, he still did not get his citizenship.
"I then told the Home Minister (Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail) to look into it and we gave him his citizenship," he said.
Anwar said he was also indebted to the community as they had always supported him.
"I am not like some people who play the race card. This country is for all Malaysians. As a Muslim, I was never taught to insult other races,” he said.
Anwar also appealed to the community to continue to support caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, whom he described as a clean leader.
"Has your MB been implicated in any wrongdoing?
"This can be a great country but with the condition that you have clean and honest people to lead.
"Do not bring back corrupt individuals just because you are upset with me," he said.
Anwar said if not for the Madani government, the Royal Commission of Inquiry report into Lembaga Tabung Haji would not have been made public.
He said it took a lot of courage and conviction to save the country and the people cannot allow leaders who would steal billions of ringgit but yet command the respect from sections of society.
