Ethnic Indians not mistreated: Malaysian minister

Chennai, Jan 8 (PTI) Rubbishing the claims of an Indian
organisation that people of India origin are being
discriminated in the country, Malaysia Thursday said it treats
all its citizens equal and has constituted a committee to look
into the demands of the ethnic Indians there.

In an apparent reference to HINDRAF, which represents
ethnic Indians in Malaysia, Minister for Human Resources Datuk
S Subramaniam said the claims of a particular group cannot be
taken as the view of an entire community.

"For the past 60 years, the Indian community has been
represented in the Parliament of Malaysia and many people of
Indian origin have served as Ministers many times,"
Subramaniam, himself a Person of Indian Origin, told reporters
here.

"Indians have wide political representation in Malaysia
and if there is any issue, there is a mechanism to deal with
it. There are no human rights infringements against Indian
origin people in Malaysia," he said on the sidelines of the
Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD) here.

Subramaniam said he has apprised the top Indian
leadership, including the External Affairs Minister and Home
Minister, about the allegations made by certain organisations
that Indians are discriminated in Malaysia and made it clear
that the relations between New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur have not
been strained.

"I told them about the protest and the allegations raised
by people are not true. We have decided to take forward the
relationship at all levels," he said.

The Minister said the high-level committee headed by the
Vice President of the country will look into the demands of
the ethnic Indians and will arrive at a conclusion and added
that members from the community are also part of the panel.

Subramaniam noted that currently there are 1.35 lakh
workers of Indian origin with valid permits in Malaysia.

"Around 55 percent of the 1.35 lakh people are working
in food industries and the rest are spread in agriculture and
other sectors," Subramaniam said.

The Malaysian Government has kept in detention five
Hindraf leaders since last one year under the Internal
Security Act (ISA), which allows authorities to hold people
for indefinite period. PTI