I had said that I would be raising this issue in the forthcoming meeting of Parliament unless Samy Vellu and the MIC leadership resolve it speedily and satisfactorily.
This was the result of the complaint of the parent of one of the students stranded in Trinidad and Tobago, who in early June had written to the MIC inquiring about the RM3.2 million financial aid to the 80 Malaysian Indian students in the West Indies, but three months passed by without any response from the MIC.
In May this year, Samy Vellu had publicly announced that the MIC had borrowed RM3.2 million from the Government to help finance 80 Indian students studying medicine in Trinidad and Tobago, who were in financial straits as a student had to pay US$75,000 (RM285,000) in tuitions fee for a five-year course compared to US$68,000 during better times.
I was today informed by the parent-complainant that he has just been contacted to appear together with other parents at the MIC Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur at 5.30 p.m. tomorrow to apply for the financial assistance.
Samy Vellu should explain why there is such a long delay in disbursing the RM3.2 million financial assistance to the 80 Indian medical students in Trinidad and Tobago when the government had approved the allocation last year, and he should also ensure that there is no hanky-panky in the disbursement of the RM3.2 million by providing the fullest accountability.
(22/9/99)