By INS Contributors

GEORGETOWN, Malaysia: Penang MIC has urged all quarters to keep calm despite that it had joined its Kedah counterparts to endorse a resolution seeking to pullout from the pioneering Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

Its chairman Datuk J. Dhinagaran said that the state chapter has valid reasons to pass the resolution.

Firstly, the BN comrade - Umno has not done anything for MIC in Penang despite been present in the Madani national unity government here.

Secondly, there is no clear outline accorded to help the B40 segment of the Indian community.

"The Indians are now lost with so many warring factions wanted to exploit the fault lines but no one is able to offer a comprehensive solution."

Granted that many of the issues were also related to the same problems which had stricken other communities, Dhinagaran said that at least they have representatives that they can turn to officially.

Dhinagaran also responded to criticism that he was given a post in the Penang Hindu Endowment Board, saying that the position is only for the administration of the Hindu temples and some welfare allocation.

As for the resolution to withdraw from BN, Dhinagaran said that nothing was cast in stone yet.

"We have left it to the central working committee (CWC) to convene and discuss the matter."

Among the options available to MIC, is to join the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Opposition front or stand alone in the growing polemic political state.

Meanwhile, former Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to play close attention to the plight of the disfranchised Indians.

He said that the present efforts although honourable for some, has come to nought.

"I think the Opposition has exploited the matter to portray that the present government does not care for the Indians. Also for the first time in history, there is no Tamilian Minister in the national government. Tamils are the  dominant sub - ethical group of the community."

Raveentharan said that providing micro - credit loans to the community is laudable but what they need is big capital to realise their entrepreneurship dreams.

"Indians should not be contented with just opening tosai shops. They have the attributes to do bigger scale of businesses such as property development," he said.