Kuala Lumpur, May 12 : A coalition of Indian youth groups headed by the Malaysian Indian Youth Council (MIYC), is asking the government to fund their social education programmes.

MIYC will be submitting its requests to the government through MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu within the next two weeks.

Speaking at a Hindu New Year carnival in Brickfields, MIC vice-president Datuk S. Veerasingam said education programmes had been mooted by the coalition to curb social problems among Indian youth.

"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" he added.

He further said that 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.

"Promises and pledges made during the election campaigns should also be carried out," New Straits Times Online quoted Veerasingam as saying.