Inspired by the success in Madurai, and with the mission to continue the noble goal of the initiative, the new wave of The Rise was launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Rise Malaysia continues the momentum of The Rise Global to facilitate exchange of ideas amongst the members of our Tamil community. The movement will resonate with the aspiration of the global Rise movement to revive the spirit of entrepreneurship deep rooted within the Tamils.
Malaysia is home to the third largest Tamil speaking population in the world. The total Indian ethnic community population is around 2.2 million of which Tamils make up over 80%. The country is home to a thriving Tamil community, which has produced many success stories.
The presence of Tamils in the Malay Peninsula could be traced back beyond the invasion of the land by the Chola Dynasty in the 11th century. During the period, Tamils were already established tradesmen, who managed to gain a strong foothold for Tamil culture and language in the region by capitalizing on trade relationships. However, the current identity of the Malaysian Tamils is predominantly linked to the exodus of Tamils to toil as labourers in Malaysian plantations during the British colonial era, by completely discounting the Tamil ancestral achievement and greatness.
A worrying concern for the community is the drifting away of the Malaysian Tamils from the benchmark of greatness set by the forefathers. Whilst at individual levels, members of the Tamil community are successful in making themselves visible in today’s competitive world; a large segment of the community continues to grapple with poverty and social problems on a daily basis.
During British Colonial rule a significant number of persons were brought to Malaysia from India and Sri Lanka to work in plantations. After Malaysia re-gained independence, this group and their descendants were entitled to acquire Malaysian citizenship under the Federal Constitution. However, a segment of the Malaysian Indian community is facing challenges related to identity documentation and confirmation of Malaysian citizenship for many years.
The widening gap between the successful members of the Tamil community and the underachievers is an issue which is not limited to Malaysia, but exist in every country which is home to a Tamil speaking population.
The Rise Malaysia aims to address some of these challenges head on and to inspire the current and future generation of Tamils to achieve success in a community-minded manner.
Dato' Saravanan Sinapan is the President of DHRRA Malaysia a leading regional civil society organization present in 10 countries in Asia. Since 1991, he has been actively involved in community development initiatives concerning vulnerable communities, especially in rural areas. With his rich experience in providing goodwill services to the grassroots communities of Malaysia, he has reached out to more than 200,000 individuals to date. One of his most commendable efforts is Mapping and Registration of Stateless Persons and Communities with documentation issues in West Malaysia. Through his leadership, DHRRA Malaysia is currently working both regionally and globally in upholding the social protection of vulnerable communities.
Saravanan approaches poverty alleviation goals with entrepreneurial zeal and effective business methods. Replicating the essence of building DHRRA Malaysia as a strong, diverse and sustainable organization, Saravanan spearheads the initiative to train and empower civil society & farmer’s organizations while promoting social entrepreneurship.
He was instrumental in introducing CTASIS in Malaysia. This led him to introduce the Malaysian chapter of CTASIS known as the United Malaysian Entrepreneurs Chamber (UNMAI). Following on, he spearheaded the team to organize Tamilar Thirunaal - SANGAM 4 which brought 2000 Malaysian Indian audiences together in 2016 and 2017.
Realising the importance of opportunities of employment in the community upliftment further encouraged him into planning and organizing of 1st Global Summit of Tamil Entrepreneurs & Professionals summit in Madurai, India. Recognizing the multiplication of opportunities the summit brought for every layer of entrepreneurs and job seekers, he vowed to reach out to Asia and Pacific to bring together Tamil communities for a common goal of upliftment.
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