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Government & MIC Leaders Should Explain Scandal Of  20,000 Indian Women Without IC, Marriage Certs   Media Statement by M Kula Segaran (Kuala Lumlur,  Thursday): About 10 days ago, Education and Research Association for Consumers, Malaysia (ERA Consumers Malaysia) secretary-general T. Indrani was reported in the media as having said in Penang that 20,000 Malaysian Indian Women are without either identity cards or marriage certificates.  This is a most shocking revelation indeed:   According to Ms Indrani, these Indian women are from the rural areas in Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak and Kedah.The lack of ICs and marriage certificates are causing them problems, especially when giving birth or registering their children in school.   She estimates that at least one in every 20 Indian families living in rural areas do not possesses either one of the two documents.   Some women do not send their children to school because of the lack of birth certificates.   And, as Ms Indrani has pointed out rightly, the non-availability of marriage certificates also poses problems to wives whose husbands have left them and single mothers who wish to re-marry.   She has also reminded us that Indian women living in rural areas are also prone to problems like domestic violence, suicide and running away from home.   The Government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and MIC which claims to represent the Malaysian Indian community should give an explanation why such a social scandal exists in Malaysia after almost 50 years of Independence.   They should also tell us what concrete and immediate steps they would take to help these poor Indian women and their children in terms of their (a) ICs, (b) Marriage Certificates, (c) The Registration of their children’s schooling, (d) Poverty, (e) Domestic Violence, (f) suicide, (g) Running away from home, (h) then children’s birth certificates.   What is the Ministry for Women doing to help these Indian Women?   Last but not least, can they please find out how many other Indian women are suffering in a similar position in other states of Malaysia?   We want action, not words, more promises and evasion. We want action now!. (31/3/2005) * M.Kula Segaran MP for Ipoh Barat and DAP National Vice Chairman