Putrajaya (Malaysia), Jan. 22: The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) will request the help of state chief ministers and governors to resolve the problem of Indian children without birth certificates.

Party chief S. Samy Vellu, who was recently in India to attend a conference for Non-Resident Indians, said it would be better if the state governments handled the matter rather than the MIC itself.

"If the menteri besar comes and says, 'give this boy a birth certificate', the state will act immediately. So it's better if the state handles it," said Samy Vellu, who is also Malaysia's works minister.

He was commenting on Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo's statement on Sunday that he had brought up the matter of there being around 40,000 Indian children in the state without birth certificates at a recent Umno supreme council meeting, and that the state was enlisting the help of non-governmental organisations to get their details.

"I'm very happy that the Selangor MB is taking a lot of interest in the Indian community.

He said the MIC's Social Strategic Foundation (YSS) was also doing a survey of Indians who did not have birth certificates.

"We will leave this matter to our state assemblymen, exco members and the state governments as it is better for the states to handle it. I will talk to the other menteris besar."

He was speaking after attending the launch of the Training for Malaysians At Infosys Global Education Centre 2008/2009 programme. He said it provided more Malaysians the opportunity to enhance their information technology and soft skills at the centre in Bangalore, India. (ANI)