Iqbal Abd Ghaffar

Election results for the top four MIC post all goes to the President’s men. While 19 out of the 27 CWC candidates endorsed by Samy Vellu were returned

Reformist and change agents within MIC were of no match against the all too powerful Samy Vellu. His dictatorial ways of ruling the MIC has only reaffirmed his position as the ONLY leader for the very divided Malaysian Indian community.

Subramaniam’s defeat for the deputy presidency against incumbent G.Palanivel with a mere 87 votes only suggests that his chances of winning would have been better had the third contender S.Sothinathan not contested. He gained 280 votes.

With powers now fully clenched in his fist, Samy Vellu has already started to exercise his executive powers to “discipline” all those who oppose him. The top line up? Contender for the deputy president’s post Datuk S. Subramaniam.

Its now up to Samy Vellu to decide how slow and painful or quick and clean will death be for the former deputy president of MIC.

MIC has already dug up its own grave. Its demise will slowly come to pass. Respect for the party among its community and in BN is already at an all time low. It has an uphill battle of winning back support from the very people it discriminated, divide, and oppressed.

Any changes and reforms it suggests, are only cosmetic and will be viewed cynically. It’ll be hard to believe in the sincerity of such change since the grand old man of MIC is still at the helm. It is a difficult task indeed.

MIC, God Speed and Rest in Peace.

IAG

Iqbal believes that a large chunk of the delegates threw their votes behind Sothinathan to “play it safe”. Even if Subraminiam did win, he’d be all alone and at logger heads with the Samy Vellu and it’d be a matter of time before he suffers the same fate as former MCA deputy president Chua Soi Lek and former UMNO deputy president Anwar Ibrahim.

Iqbal actively posts his thought and opinions at www.iqbalghaffar.com

Iqbal Abd Ghaffar

The first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman had once said “An unhappy Indian is its own political party”. I can’t recall the quote word by word, but it sounded something like that.

Tunku Abdul Rahman couldn’t have said it any better as the quote stands true.

In present day Malaysia, the world can bare witness to the myriad of political parties that champions the roughly 2 million Malaysians of Indian ethnic. There’s a total of 9 starting with MIC, PPP, MIUP, Hindraf, Mindraf, AMIPF, KIMMA, MCC, PPM. This doesn’t take into account multiracial parties such as DAP, PKR, Gerakan, and PAS supporters club that the Indians can join .The number is quite large considering that the Indians make roughly less 9% of the Malaysian population.

While the large number of Indian based parties shows that democracy certainly thrives, the flip side of the coin is that a large number of people in the Indian community may be unhappy with the oldest Indian party in Malaysia. This became even more so evident when in March 2008, the MIC was almost obliterated from the face of Malaysian politics.

This can be solely attributed to the dissatisfaction the community has had with the leadership of the MIC. More specifically pointing to Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, the man who has had an iron fist control of the party since 1979.

Since his “dynasty” as President of the oldest and largest Indian based party, he has marginalized his own people, destroyed the political (and personal) careers of anyone who opposes him, and expelled those who supported the opposed. His dictatorial ways have successfully instilled fear instead of  respect in the community, split its support base many times over, and created a highly marginalized community. In that same process, he destroyed many aspiring and talented leaders from rising within the Indian community. There was only one key message that he wanted to say and that was “Support me, and I’ll extend my help to you. Oppose me, and you’ll perish!”

Samy Vellu is one man whose is skin far thicker than the glaciers of the Alps. Despite his loss in his own constituency of Sungai Siput and the obliteration of MIC in March 8 2008, the calls by grassroots for him to step down, and despite knowing that the many of his presidential peers in the ruling BN coalition has retired and the current BN leadership especially Najib Razak does not openly support him anymore, he defies all this stating that the MIC still needs his leadership to be reformed.

The biggest call to reform, would be to start with himself stepping down as President of the MIC. With him out of the way, new blood and ideas can then be injected into the party. With him out of the way, the shackles of fear based politics would be dismantled. With him out of the way, and with a leader who is more dynamic, young, vibrant, and who stands up to the cause of uniting the community will the party be able to see real progress.

Sept 12 marks the day when 1,464 MIC delegates will elect 23 representatives into the Central Working Committee, three Vice Presidents, and one Deputy President.

Samy Vellu has already lined up 27 “preferred” candidates for this election. But within the party ranks and files and more strongly the grassroots has signalled that this will not be an easy fight. The focus is on the three-cornered fight for the Deputy President’s seat. Incumbent and Samy Vellu’s preferred candidate Datuk G. Palanivel, is being challenged by former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam, and new comer and former blue-eyed boy of Samy Vellu Datuk S.Sothinathan.

Subramaniam, 49, has a strong support base from the grassroots who want to see real change in MIC. His support also comes from those who have been expelled from the party by Samy Vellu. His mantra of change for the better, and his promise of accepting all members who have been expelled from the party has won their hearts and minds.

The task of winning the post is an uphill battle as Samy Vellu’s tentacle is strongly wrapped around many delegates. However, his move to publish and interview with Dr.Mahathir on the future of MIC and Samy Vellu has already caused quite a stir with Samy Vellu telling Subramanian brought “shame” to the party, and telling Mahathir to stay out of MIC’s affairs.

Dr. Mahathir’s comments will have an impact on the delegates decision to elect their leaders. Those who want change are already excited with the comments given by the grand old man of Malaysian politics as this endorsement has given steam for the party to push for reforms and a put in place a new leadership that will hopefully muster enough power to oust Samy Vellu.

It is a known fact that the MIC has lost its respect within the Barisan Nasional coalition. In their view, MIC has lost the mandate of the Indian community. Many in BN agree and want to see Samy Vellu step down and let someone else take the helm. The chairman of BN who is also PM, Najib Razak have on many occasions bypassed Samy Vellu when it came to Indian issues such as the Section 23 temple relocation debacle.

All eyes and ears are now focused on Najib’s speech at the opening of MIC elections on the morning of the 12th as this will give an indication to the delegates on who to vote and elect. The outcome of this election will determine the rebirth or the demise of the MIC.

-IAG-

Iqbal backs Subramaniam to lead the way for reform and change in the MIC and ultimately oust Samy Vellu from the post of President. He has Indians close at heart because he and his brothers were well taken care of by a Tamil Sri Lankan maid for 12 years since he was a born. He regularly blogs at www.iqbalghaffar.com

Time’s Up Samy Vellu!

IAG

The month of October is quite an eventful month!

On this month, Abdullah Badawi announced his resignation as PM and announced that he will not contest the UMNO Presidency. The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) is now helmed by a new president and new deputy president, voted in by MCA delegates today. Global markets saw its biggest losing streaks marred by the sub-prime mortgage crisis, liquidity crisis, and huge bail outs.

Since Mar 8th, much has been talked about everything else. National news is dominated by Pak Lah and the UMNO war lords, Gerakan and their identity crisis, MCA and their rebranding exercise, BN’s rocking ship, Sabah and Sarawak MPs and their loyatly, HINDRAF’s exessive noise levels, and the hyped government takeover bid by the Opposition in September.

But one thing missing from the mainstream and independant news is the mention of MIC and more importantly Samy Vellu.

On Oct 12 2008, Dato’ Seri Samy Vellu Sangalimuthu celebrated his 29th anniversary as the President of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC). This 72 year old man is now the longest serving President of any political party in Malaysia.

Had it not been for the Mar 8th debacle he would have continued to helm the Works Ministry.

His rise to political stardom is impressive. He is a warrior, fighter, and a person who doesn’t understand the word give up. He has faced many hardships and challenges to be where he is today, but unfortunately to many, he is also a sore loser.

Through out his political career, he is known to have annexed his political foes, outcasted his opponents, and obliterated any opposition in his party. He is one ruthless politician who rules by the adage so bluntly put “its my way or the highway!”.

This all too powerful man who’s influence is deeply rooted and permeated across many levels of the Malaysian Indian society rules and dominates without fear or repercussion from his foes. This powerful man had also single handedly destroy the very fabrics of MIC, and caused many factions, splits and disunity among the Indian community. He’s probably caused more rifts among the Indian’s than the average road fatality accidents in Malaysia last year.

But what is most important to note is that Samy Vellu has overstayed his welcome. He has been clinging on to the post as if it was rightfully his. Perhaps he does believe so, for it may very well be that he may be have establish a Samy Vellu empire and wants to name his son as the next President of the MIC.

Looking back, Samy Vellu’s peers have all but gone and retired.

Lim Keng Yeik, former President of Gerakan retired in 2007. Rafidah Aziz, longest serving civil servant for 32 years, will be retiring in June 2009. Dr. Mahathir, left in 2003. Now Abdullah is retiring next year.

With all his peers leaving the political foray and into retirement, does this man not get the cue? There’s a malay saying that sounds like “Dunia suruh pergi, kubur panggil mari”. Translated it means, the grave beckons. If Malaysians thought that Abdullah was deaf and dumb, then Samy Vellu is even deafer and dumber!

The MIC needs new blood and Samy Vellu’s ideas of reforms and rebranding are outdated! He is a dinosaur! The number 1 reform agenda that the MIC now needs to take is to pressure him to step down, for the better of his communicty and Malaysians at large.

Why are Malaysians also involved? Because HINDRAF comes into the picture. The poor folks have been  marginilized, forgotten, and abondoned by the very party they have supported throughout all the years since the country’s independance. It is because of this, that the Indian community has supported the opposition in droves, including PAS!

Samy Vellu’s style of running the party makes the MIC seem like a feudal organization where almost all the decisions are made by the president himself. The Indian middle class has largely chosen to disassociate itself from the party which makes the MIC a working class party.

The state of the MIC is best described as the state of its headquarters off Jalan Mahameru close to the Putra World Trade Center; pathetic! While other party’s headquarters stand proud, tall and grandious, the building that represents 11% of the population of Malaysia is ugly, delipated and unkempt.

The indian’s and Malaysians to some extent need to pressure this man to take responsibility of the dwindling support from the Indians. A new coherted force and mounting pressure should be created from within and outside the fortress of MIC to topple the incumbent president in the next pary elections due next year. The only reason he is staying on is that all those who oppose him has been silenced.

If putting pressure on Abdullah has succeeded in him to bring forward his retirement plans, there is no inkling of a doubt that this may work on Samy Vellu. The stage is set as one by one, his peers have retired from mainstream politics.

Samy Vellu, time’s almost up!

IAG