‘Lord Muruga, thanks for the blessings’
Even in the bleakest of times, P. Nadarajah’s unrelenting faith drove him to always carry the kavadi during Thaipusam, a feat he pulled off again at the ripe old age of 71. His adopted Chinese son also joined the thousands who thronged Murugan temples nationwide on an auspicious day of penance, colours and sounds – and foreign tourists loved every moment of it.
KUALA SELANGOR: A key agenda of the Barisan Nasional government is to improve the living standards of the Indian community in the country, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Saying this could not be achieved in a day or two, the Prime Minister noted that the change needed was not only in the physical aspect, but also in the “structure of the life of the community”.
“Changing attitudes and values, as well as strengthening the foundation of the Indian community, is a work in progress.
“I agree with MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, who said in his speech that the Indians will advance more if they can strengthen unity among themselves.
“This is a challenge we face, but I can assure you that with BN leading the Government, there is hope for us. What we need is your support and trust so that the BN government can give you the best.
“We are not engaging in vetti pecchu (empty talk in Tamil) but nijjam (the truth),” he said in his speech at the Thaipusam celebration at the Sri Subramaniar Swamy temple here yesterday.
Devotees said they were pleasantly surprised to see the Prime Minister at the Thaipusam celebration in Kuala Selangor.
“I have attended Thaipusam here for the past 10 years and this is the first time a VIP like the Prime Minister has come. We are very proud to see him,” said M. Raj, 39.
At Batu Caves, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called on the Indian community to close the “old chapter” and move forward with
the Federal Government’s development plans for them.
Calling on the community to disregard any previous ill-feeling towards BN, the Deputy Prime Minister said there was much more in store for them.
He cited Najib’s personal commitment to uplifting the community with special assistance programmes.
“I hope we can close the old chapter. The Indian community should put an end to the old stories. We should all forget any disagreement as the big day (polling) approaches.
“You will get more aid by giving stronger support to his leadership,” Dr Ahmad Zahid said in his speech.
He said the RM2mil extra alloca-
tion for renovation work at the Indian Cultural Centre in the vicinity of the Batu Caves temple complex was further proof of the Federal Government’s assistance programme for the Indian community.
“The RM2mil allocation will be given to the temple committee within a week,” he said.
Dr Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, urged the Tourism Ministry to step up its promotional campaign to attract more tourists to Batu Caves.