JEDDAH, 25 April 2004
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

The first non-resident Indian (NRI) parliamentarian has extended his full support to the proposed budget airline project for low-paid Indian workers in the Gulf. “I have been an advocate of budget airlines and I will try my best to mobilize support for the project,” P.V. Abdul Wahab, a prominent businessman and industrialist based in Dubai, told Arab News.

NRI organizations in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have called for a budget carrier after airlines allegedly imposed exorbitant charges on passengers. “There must be special fares for poor Indian workers who earn less than $150 a month. There must be special flights to cater to their needs but without causing any security risk as a result of using old aircraft,” he insisted.

Abdul Wahab was on his first visit to Saudi Arabia after being sworn in as a member of Rajya Saba, the upper house of Parliament. He was elected from the southern Kerala state as a candidate of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

Abdul Wahab said he would work for the welfare of NRIs in the Gulf and other countries, and effectively intervene in labor disputes without creating any controversy.

“I know the problems of Indian expatriate workers, especially in the Gulf, and I will exert every possible effort to solve them,” said Abdul Wahab, who came to the Gulf for work some 30 years ago. He defended the “soft and balanced” attitude of Indian missions in handling NRI job problems.

Abdul Wahab, who has declared family assets of more than 1.28 billion rupees and stakes in 144 companies, has not forgotten the poor and downtrodden. “My wish is to become the voice of the voiceless,” he said.

In the Kingdom to perform Umrah and thank God for helping him to get elected to the world’s largest democratic institution, he said, “I was immensely proud when I stood in Parliament for the swearing-in ceremony. I am thankful to God as well as to my party and its president, Shihab Thangal.”

Abdul Wahab said he wanted to strengthen the existing relations between India and the Gulf countries. He thanked Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states for opening their doors to Indian investors.

Asked about the uproar over his election, Abdul Wahab said the allegations against him were baseless. “I invested the money I earned in the Gulf in India. Was it a mistake?” he said, thanking his opponents for providing him free publicity.