After condemning his boss, and subsequently making a police report on Samy, Alex ups the ante by openly declaring his intention to challenge the president for the throne.

However, history has shown that challengers disappear from politics, except Dato Subra and Jumbo Maniam who are still around. Alex will try to run on the anti-Samy wave and hope to cause an upset. Or possibly try to get Subra to come out and go for it. I don’t forsee any non-elected MPs bar Dato Subra having a sliver of chance against Samy.

KUALA LUMPUR: The race for the MIC party president has begun with MIC Klang division chief’s decision to contest.
P. Thiagarasan, 54, or better known as Alex Thiagarasan, told the New Straits Times yesterday that he was vying for the post held for the past 29 years by Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

“I think that I’m worthy of the president’s post. But, if there is a better candidate, then I would make way for the person. I will instead vie for the deputy or vice-president’s post,” he said.

Thiagarasan, who unsuccessfully contested a vice-president’s post in the last party election, also called for abolishing the quota system of getting nominations from at least 300 branch chiefs to make a bid for the party’s presidency.

He said there must be a concerted attempt to unseat Samy Vellu if he had not gone by the next election, which was not due until next March.
Thiagarasan, who was formerly a People’s Progressive Party Selangor chief in 1997, left with nearly 24,000 members and joined the MIC two years later following a dispute with PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas.

Among those who have contested against Samy Vellu for the party’s presidency include Y. Thomas, former MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam, Kapar division chairman S. Subramaniam, better known as Jumbo Maniam and former Lobak branch chairman R. Vellasamy.

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This is indeed surprising! Seldom people will joining a losing group. I mean, let’s face it. No matter how we cut it, MIC lost big time. Everyone admits it – MIC leaders, partymen, members, man in the street, opposition fellas, media, political experts and teh tarik seller as well. So, something must be seriously off-tangent if people are eager to join the party. What are the pull factors that attract these young people (definition of young according to Samy / MIC ?) or the push factors that cause them to inch towards MIC?

If its true, then good for MIC. Its rebranding may seem to be working. However, if it is not (and we would be foolish to trust Samy the politicians’s words), hmmm…who bothers anyway? Well, unless this is a ploy to create phantom members, fill up the defunct branches,and proclaim that MIC has the support of the community. Not so difficult to pull off. If many Indians are still members of MIC Teluk Kemang, surely Sothinathan would have lost by a slimmer margin, right? 🙂

Which brings us to the point – you can have 5 million members, but it does not guarantee you electoral wins.  First, your members must be registered as voters. MIC did mention that about 10% of members only were registered as voters. Secondly, those voters must be convinced to vote for the coalition. People can jump ship as easy as flipping through Astro channel nowadays. Party loyalism has gone down the drain, especially when the party actually doesn’t seem to do much.

BUTTERWORTH: MIC will revive between 300 and 400 branches nationwide to increase its membership.
Its president, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, said new leaders would take over these branches.”The leadership of the closed branches will not be given to the old chairmen as they have not done anything to revive them.

“Our plan is to recruit about 50,000 new members, especially the young, before the end of this year,” he said before opening the state MIC’s 62nd annual delegates convention at Dewan Sree Mariamman here yesterday.

He said his tour around the country to attend state delegates’ conventions showed more young people were interested in joining the party.  Their coming in will give us a new lease of life.”

With its rebranding, he said, the party would introduce a rating system for branches where programmes carried out by branches and their chairmen would be evaluated to determine whether their performances lived up to the aspirations of the party.

“We will have several categories under the system: the extraordinary branches, the performing branches, the below average performing branches and the inactive branches.

“We will determine the parameters and criteria of the system,” he said.

He added the party would also introduce a people’s satisfaction index to gather feedback from the grassroots on the rebranding exercise.

He said the rebranding would begin right after the party’s general assembly in Kuala Lumpur on July 12. More than 1,600 delegates will attend the assembly.

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BUTTERWORTH: MIC branches nationwide will soon be accorded performance ratings under the party’s rebranding exercise, says party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

He said there were four categories in the rating system to evaluate the effectiveness of each branch in delivering the party’s aspirations and promises.

“The system will help the branches improve their performance and delivery to the people,” he told reporters at the Penang MIC convention held at Dewan Sree Mariamman yesterday.

The four categories are P1: Extraordinary; P2: Performing; P3: Below-average and P4: Inactive.

In addition to the rating system, a “People Satisfaction Index” (PSI) will be introduced in July to help gather feedback from the grassroots.  “The index will help us gauge people’s reaction and satisfaction towards our rebranding exercise.

“The PSI can also be used to evaluate the performance of branch leaders and branches. A form will be distributed to the public, especially MIC members, to gather feedback,” he explained, adding that feedback would be evaluated every six months.

Part of the re-branding effort would also see 3,600 branch leaders being sent for 36 courses, to update themselves.  “They will be briefed on the party’s new style, and how to increase delivery to the people and make the party more dynamic.

“MIC is now reviving between 300 and 400 defunct branches with new leaders,” he said.

Samy Vellu added that the party aimed to recruit 50,000 youth members this year as part of efforts to inject new blood into the party.  When queried, Samy Vellu said many young people were eager to join the party.   “I am very happy to note that many of them want to work (for the party) but I’ve told them to hold on and let us finish with the rebranding exercise first,” he said.

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