MIC leader ticks off Anwar over remarks on manifesto

An MIC leader has ticked off Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for saying he is ready to 'refine' further the election manifesto launched by the opposition pact to suit the needs of the Indian community.

Mohana Muniandy, a member of the party's central working committee, said the development plans for the Indian community should have been included in the manifesto in the first place and not after several criticisms were made by various quarters, including Indian community leaders.

"This should not have happened as it clearly shows the Indian representatives from Pakatan are not capable enough in drafting a plan for the Indian community," she told reporters after presenting a RM70,000 aid from the Prime Minister's Department to the Mahamariamman Temple in Kota Kemuning, here, last night.

Anwar was quoted by an online news portal as saying the election manifesto unveiled by the Pakatan Rakyat on Feb 25 was still open to feedback and proposals from Indian community leaders so that it could be further refined.

Mohana said Anwar's willingness to 'fine-tune' the manifesto to suit the needs of the Indian community showed that the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader was desperate to win the hearts and minds of the Indians.

On another matter, Mohana, who is president of Power Malaysia, a Barisan Nasional-friendly non-governmental organisation, said she planned to set up a council to streamline all Hindu temples in the Kota Raja parliamentary constituency.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Mahamariamman Temple, Datuk Nathan Suppiah, said the committee needed at least RM1.6 million to complete the first phase of the temple.

He said he wanted to make the temple a venue for social development activities for the betterment of Indian youths.

"We are also planning to build a three-storey multipurpose hall within the temple grounds to cater to about 1,000 people at any given time," he said, adding that the construction of the temple was expected to be completed by February next year.

Earlier, devotees held special prayers for the safety of the people in Sabah in the wake of the intrusion by armed Sulu militants from the southern Philippines in Lahad Datu.