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GERAKAN has asked the Government to take advantage of the higher rubber and palm oil prices to raise estate workers’ wages, Malaysia Nanban reported.
It also proposed a special fund to help the children of rubber and oil palm estate workers and former plantation workers.
Acting Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the move was crucial to help plantation workers, particularly the younger ones in the estates, to earn higher incomes to provide a better life for their families.
He was speaking to reporters after chairing a four-hour central committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
He said he was making the suggestion following a meeting with Indian community leaders in Penang. Party leaders had also met Indian grassroots officials in several places to find ways to improve the community’s socio-economic status.
On Gerakan, Koh said the party had expanded the Maju Diri programme, a special programme to help the Indian community in Penang, to other states.
This programme was initiated eight years ago in the form of sponsoring kindergarten classes, giving financial aid to poor Indian students and paying Tamil schoolteachers’ salaries.
Seven Tamil schools in Penang have benefited from the programme so far.
Koh said Gerakan would also expand the “Lim Keng Yaik Education Fund”, set up by the party adviser, who is also Energy, Water and Communications Minister, to help the Indian community in his Beruas parliamentary constituency.
He said the fund, set up three years ago, would be extended to other Gerakan-held state and parliamentary constituencies.
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