The systematic neglect and marginalization of Malaysian plantation workers, who are predominantly Indians for the past 54 years, has made them the new underclass community along with Orang Ulu of Sabah and Sarawak and Orang Asal of peninsula Malaysia. But the difference, is Malaysian Indians are still treated as immigrants while the others are natives of this soil. That makes the Malaysian Indians the underclass in the underclass community which is a totally hopeless situation. This hopeless situation is further enforced by corruption in the powerful police and civil service and deliberate neglect and political hegemony of UMNO. The awakening after the Hindraf led protest resulted in drying up of loyal Indian votes for UMNO government in the march, 2008 national elections.
To win back the lost Malaysian Indian voters, PM Datuk Seri Najib and the past Samy Velu MIC leadership has hit on the stateless and non-citizenship problem of thousands of Malaysian Indians. This is a marked improvement because MIC always prevailed upon UMNO government that Indian problems are only Tamil schools and temples. Even though the registration of birth certificate and identity card are huge problems for the poor and less educated plantation workers, the 54 years delay in solving, have exposed the community to many other social diseases such criminal activities among youths. Large numbers of single mothers whose husbands are in jail, on drugs or eloped with other women with no birth certificates for children, large numbers of non-skilled workers now competing with millions of legal and illegal foreign workers, no opportunities and financial support for further education both locally and overseas for school leavers and complete shutdown in government procurement to Indian businessmen.
