Single mums seek Samy Vellu's help

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu talks to CHARLES FERNANDEZ about problems faced by the Indian community, especially single mothers who are left to fend for themselves and their children.

The large number of single mothers in the Indian community is in the words of MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, "an alarming social problem that is getting out of control." Women with children who are abandoned by their husbands are a problem that Samy Vellu has to deal with daily before rushing to his office. A man leaves his first wive and remarries, only to leave the second soon after, and both the women approach Samy Vellu, pleading him to trace their husband.

Although his meet-the-people sessions are on Tuesdays, he is not left alone on other days. Women stop him to pour out their problems and seek financial assistance. Some are unable to send their children to school. There are those who are on the brink of being chased out of their homes for not settling their monthly rental and many are so cash-strapped that they have no money to buy milk to feed their babies.

This outpouring of hardship saddens Samy Vellu and despite his tight schedule, he is all ears and ready to help these people. "These problems are so prevalent amongst the Indian community and I listen to such stories every day," he said. The party is trying to trace the husband through their branches nationwide using the information provided by the women. The MIC president is saddled with four similar cases and those affected are the hardcore poor who are left to fend for themselves as well as take care of their children. "The problem starts as soon as they get married."

"There is no family planning and the poorer they are, the more children they end up having," Samy Vellu pointed out. And when the husband finds that he can no longer provide the daily necessities like food for the family, he takes the easy way out and abandons them. "I am very sad to day that some of these women and their children have a very bleak future ahead of them," he said.

Despite having to deal with so many problems each day, Samy Velly never loses his cool as he listens patiently to all those who come to see him to pour out their woes. In the case of those with genuine problems, Samy Vellu is full of concern and advises them on what is best or them. He can also detect when something is not right. The party has established a foundation - Yayasan Pemulihan Sosial - to help pay towards hospitalisation and for those who need financial assistance up front to start a small business.

He does not turn away people who come to him to obtain loans to further their studies and is all smiles if it concerns a loan to study at the TAFE College in Seremban. "We have so far given out at an average of RM7mil to RM8mil yearly," said Samy Vellu. However, he expressed disappointment over the difficulty to recover the study loans. The ugly side, he pointed out, is that the party had to stand as guarantors with the banks.

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