Malaysia to set up three panels for Indian community

KUALA LUMPUR - Three committees will be set up for Malaysia’s 2.1-million Indian community that will focus on areas where they would benefit the most, a minister has announced.

The areas that will be looked into would be crime among ethnic Indian youth, promoting retail business and small and medium-scale enterprises (SME), Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department S.K. Devamany said Monday.

He said the establishment of the committees - described as labs - was essential to improve the living standard of the Indian community and to enhance their participation in SMEs.

“I was involved in discussions with the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) to have special labs for the Indian community. We are now working on a specific one, which is retail,” Devamany said.

“I’m also working on another lab with Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar on crime among Indian youths. We are looking at areas where the Indians need support.”

“Next, we will be looking into SMEs and see how we can support Indians who are involved in SMEs,” the New Straits Times quoted the minister as saying.

Devamany gave a talk on “Opportunities for Malaysian Indians in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and 2011 Budget”, organised by the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry here Monday.

He believed the lab on retailing would help the Indian community to modernise their businesses and create supply chains with economies of scale.

A large number of Indians, who form eight percent of Malaysia’s multi-ethnic population of 28 million, are into retail and small industries.

Devamany said the three labs would help the Indians develop their economic standing and prosper under the New Economic Model, being promoted by the government of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.