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!

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