KUALA LUMPUR: A coalition of Indian youth groups is asking the government to fund their social education programmes.

The coalition, headed by the Malaysian Indian Youth Council (MIYC), will be submitting its requests to the government through MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu within the next two weeks.

MIC vice-president Datuk S. Veerasingam said education programmes had been mooted by the coalition to curb social problems among Indian youth.

He said the MIYC, together with other Indian-based groups, held a seminar yesterday where issues pertaining to education, employment, social problems and the economic status of Indians were discussed.

Veerasingam, who was speaking at a Hindu New Year carnival yesterday in Brickfields, said the group wanted Tamil schools to become fully aided government schools -- a move that would necessitate the various state governments allocating land for building the schools.
"They also spoke about the need for providing proper places of worship, especially where new developments are coming up.

"Promises and pledges made during the election campaigns should also be carried out," he said.