[ Laman Ehwal Semasa ReformIS ]
Date: 24 Aug 1999
Time: 01:27:13
Remote User: -
Background to the dissolved Fund
The South Indian Labour Fund was established in the year 1908. It was started by one Mr. Rengan who was a Labour Inspector, The name then given to this fund was Sanjithurai Fund. Subscriptions towards this Fund deducted from the then Rubber Estate Workers was less than 10 cents per day, the wages at that time being less than 26 cents per day.
In 1910, the Fund was renamed "The South Indian Labour Fund" and catered for the Tamils, Telegus and Malayalees. Subscription towards this Fund ceased in the year 1938. The funds collected were kept under the care of the Labour Department known among the then workers as "Sanjithurai Office" - part of the subscription was sent to England and was left there.
During the Japanese occupation, the Fund earned interest. When the Japanese left, the Fund was transferred back to the then States of Malaya. The committees established to manage the Fund were the then Department of Labour and the Malayan Agricultural Plantations Association (MAPA).
The Fund was then used to send estate workers who were unable to work back to their motherland and payment was also done to old and sickly aged workers and for their children's education. It was under the control of the Ministry of Labour Malaya.
Now that Fund has been dissolved, the following are questions and suggestions voiced by the Indian community at large to reopen the Fund.
1. Why the Fund was not properly managed? A comment please by Samy Vellu.
2. Why was the Fund dissolved without taking into account the views of the Indian community at large?
3. What was the amount in the Fund at the time it was dissolved?
If the Barisan Goverment and the MIC cannot solve this problem which is a pressing problem, the Fund must be re-opened and the Barisan Government should pump in more contribution towards the Fund to improve the living standards of the Indian community.
If the Barisan government and MIC cannot solve this problem, we call upon the Indian community to boycott the MIC candidates and MPs for they are just warming their seats in the Dewan Rakyat.
Prosothman DAP Kampung India Branch, Teluk Intan, Perak.