With the Malaysian Action Plan for the Indian Community (MIB) in place, the Indian community is positive that it will start a new era for them in the country.

Makkal Sakti Party President, Datuk Seri RS Thanenthiran said that the move initiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was the first of its kind and the party volunteers to help assist the blueprint implementation.

"We want to thank the Prime Minister for his sincere effort and determination to resolve Indian community issues in the country. Hence, we offer ourselves to be the eyes for the government to ensure a smooth implementation of the blueprint," he said in a statement here today.

Thanenthiran also said that besides the assurance to safeguard the Tamil Language and retaining vernacular schools in the country, he hopes that there will soon be the first Tamil secondary school in the country.

"To have a secondary school has been an overdue dream for the community and I hope it will not be overlooked," he said.

He stressed that education was important among the community in order to curb gangsterism and other social problems involving Indian youths.

"With good education and equipped with moral and religious values, they would do better in life," he said.

Yesterday, Najib during the launching of MIB said it was a commitment and determination of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to continue to develop the living standard of the Indian community.

The prime minister also said the action plan concerned especially those in the B40 group (whose household income represents the lowest 40 per cent) and was carefully prepared using the ''bottom-up'' and inclusive approach.

Najib said the progress of the initiative outlined in the document would be monitored by the Cabinet Committee for the Indian Community (CCIC) chaired by him while its implementation would be monitored by the Exco committee chaired by MIC President Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

--BERNAMA