Malaysian Indian school students honoured

KUALA LUMPUR - As many as 137 Malaysian Indian achievers in high school examinations received awards, certificates and gifts from an Indian NGO.

The students who received the best student awards include Prakash Pannersavan who scored 11As, Prethibha Sivadas who had 12As and Sri Vithya Palaniappan with 11As, New Straits Times said Monday.

The students were honoured by Indian NGO Persatuan Kebajikan Namakkal Malaysia.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister A. Kohilan Pillay, himself an ethnic Indian, said he was pleased that Indian youths were doing well in their studies.

There are nearly a thousand Tamil schools in Malaysia that is home to an estimated 1.7 million ethnic Indians, a bulk of whom are Tamils.

Tamil educational institutions receive regular grants from the federal and state governments for their upkeep and expansion.