My wife Indra and I made a sudden one day trip to Frasers Hill this longer Aidil Adha holiday weekend to get away from the daily routine of attending to especially Indian poor issues which we monitor, document and report on a day to day basis in www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com .

We bumped into Parameswary (48) and in our usual fact finding we learnt that despite 23 years on she was preserved as a cleaner in the very same hotel, denied skills training and upward mobility opportunities and is paid s mere only RM 600.00 p.m.

About one third of her pay ie RM 180.00 goes for her low cost flat rentals. Her Myanmar colleagues are paid higher than her at RM 700.00 to RM 1,200.00 p.m. Thanks to the UMNO government foreign workers policy. Her Malay colleague of six years standing earns more than her at RM 700.00 p.m. Thanks to the UMNO racist spillover effect even in the private sector.

Parames tells us that she is a single parent and her husband had secured custody of all her three children. After work she walks home into a lonely, dark, gloony and cold concrete pigeon hole. She gets up the next day and is back at work right up to about 10.00 p.m doing overtime. Parames is a hard worker but living in about the world’s most racist countries, her painful day to day mysery is a reality she and some two million Indian poor face under the UMNO 1 Malay-sia racist government policy.

As we checked out the next afternoon, our hotel, food and beverage bills came up to RM 800.00. I wondered that this our one day’s expense is Parames one month salary including her back breaking overtime.

Parames dream of a roof over her head during her sunset years was shattered when told that because of her mere RM 600.00 p.m salary her housing loan for even a RM 45,000.00 low cost flat was rejected. Even by the much touted Special Government Housing Loan Scheme for the poor through BSN but which does not filter down to Parames and tens of thousands especially of the Indian poor. Her scores of applications to join the local council as even a sweeper and with the hope of getting a government housing loan was also shattered.

She was not granted any welfare help at all or the single mothers financial aid. But the RM 251.6 Billion 2013 Budget allocates RM 1.2 Billion for welfare and RM 50 Million for single mothers but which again does not flow down to Parames and tens of thousands of the Indian poor. And when protest this level of racism, UMNO prosecutes us for Sedition while Pakatan brands us racist as a very clever means to 3D ie divert, dilute and deny this very critical Indian poor problem.

When asked, I explained to Dr. Francis Jana, an Orang Ulu holiday maker from Sarawak who also stayed at our hotel that unlike almost all the tens of thousands of Malay, Orang Asli, Kadazan, Iban poor etc have their village safety net which the Indian poor do not have. Even the Chinese poor are blessed with 508 Chinese New Villages nationwide.

Even in her old age Parames has no village to go back to. Her family and community are in no better position financially to accommodate her. Even the Indian elite do not care. There is no community support system unlike even in poverty stricken India where her clansmen would somehow accommodate their poor.

Dr Francis conceded that the Indian poor are poorer than the Orang Asli and Orang Ulu who can toil on almost as much land as they want to earn a living. His government funded Vanila planting scheme is segregated to Parames to and any Indian poor.

As we bid farewell, Parames suddenly broke down in tears and told us that both her breasts had been removed and that even her three children hardly visit her. Almost all her income was spent on medical bills , cheomotherapy and her monthly check ups at University Hospital, K.L: She contemplates suicide with no other alternative.

Malaysia a civil, caring and sharing society?

We drove down Fraser’s Hills feeling depressed and helpless knowing that Parames’ sad story is just the tip of the iceberg of the plight of about some 70% or some two million of the Indians in Malay-sia.

I walked into the Hindraf office today (Monday morning) only to see yet another letter by post from retiree kidney failure, high blood pressure and heart patient N. Nallathamby (65) and N. Pannirsilvam with four children, his four (4) leg toes amputated and even his Socso Pension denied to cover his dialysis treatment also of Rantau, N. Sembilan. They wrote for help that they were denied even the government welfare aid or any other National Welfare Foundation, Lembaga Urus Zakat, Yayasan etc help accorded to any Malay poor. Neither was any other “cari makan” opportunities granted for these families for example like the 10 acre Felda etc land ownership scheme. The Indian poor are prepared to work hard and do not expect any free money.

And our routine otherwise goes on as in the previous weekday.

I told Dr. Francis that our only hope is change by the Malay and Chinese top political leaders from both sides of the political spectrum that eliminates all forms of racism victimising in particular the Indian poor. The Indian elite and even the alternative of very little help. And we are not sure if Pakatan would care enough to effect change to also include the likes of Parames, N. Nallathamby, N. Pannirsilvam and the tens of thousands of Indian poor into the national mainstream development of bi racial 1 Malay-sia when they get to Putrajaya judging by their rule in Selangor, Penang and Kedah.