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“This may be my last term, but if the Indian community decides they don’t want me, I am prepared to go even now…”
He also clarifies subtly that Batu Caves will see a MIC new face for sure.
ELECTION 2008: Final term for Samy Vellu?
By : Jennifer Gomez
source
KUALA LUMPUR:
Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has indicated that the March 8 general election could be his last term in politics. “This may be my last term, but if the Indian community decides they don’t want me, I am prepared to go even now. I will hand over the party to the man next to me,” the MIC president told reporters when asked about his political plans.However, Samy Vellu, 72, said he would only listen to the voices of the Indian community and not from ‘outsiders’.
Earlier, the press had asked him about a purported rift with his deputy Datuk G. Palanivel. “When you want to destroy a party, you must divide leaders in the party. A lot of people are trying to do that, we will not allow that to happen,” he said.
Samy Vellu also responded to questions about the incident in Prai on Saturday night where his car was blocked by a mob demanding the release of Hindraf protestors detained in Kuala Lumpur that morning. He was escorted to his car after the mob started to jeer him. “Does that indicate that they hate me? No, they came to the car to ask me to tell the Prime Minister to release the 180 people involved in an illegal demonstration that were locked up earlier that morning,” he said.
On the MIC’s candidates’ list, Samy Vellu said the list was ready but refused to divulge names. “I have included many new faces, including professionals as well as those who are not highly qualified, but active politically,” he said. Samy Vellu said in the previous two general elections, he gave the opportunity to 19 new candidates but some had disappointed him with poor performance. “Some of them get elected, then do nothing,” he said. “You must at least be seen to be active. I have removed many people from the last elections after they served just one term because they did not perform. Why waste another five years?”
Samy: This ‘may be’ my last term
http://malaysiakini.com/news/78246
Feb 19, 08 3:44pm
MIC president S Samy Vellu today announced that the 12th general election could be his last. “Next term I wont go (to contest ). This may be my last term,” said the eight-term member of Parliament for Sungai Siput. Samy Vellu, 72, has been leading MIC for 28 years and critics have accused him of overstaying his welcome. The president has also come under intense pressure following the Nov 25 rally organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). There was also speculation that the veteran politician would not contest in this elections.”I’m prepared to go even now if the Indian community does not want me anymore,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
‘Won’t lead party forever’
However, he stressed that as a leader of the Indian community, the decision must be made by the community and not by outsiders. “If the Indian community decides that they don’t want me…I’m prepared to go even now…I’m prepared,” added the works minister. Samy first contested the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in the country’s fourth general election in 1974 and has held the seat since then. On his MIC president post, Samy Vellu said that he could not just leave the party but would give up the post at the appropriate time. However, he stressed that he would not lead the party forever. “If I just leave the party now, the party will go into disarray. It is not that I’m going to be there for 100 years. I don’t live for 100 years. Everybody’s got a time to go,” he said.
No rift with deputy
Responding to a question, Samy Vellu denied rumours of a rift between him and his deputy G Palanivel. “If you want to destroy a party, you must divide the leadership in the party. There are a lot of people trying to do that. But we will not allow that to happen. I will hand over the party to the man next to me and go (when the times come)” he said.
On MIC’s candidates list for the general election, he said it was finalised days ago but he did not discount last-minute changes. “I’m ready to see the prime minister (to submit the list), if he wants to see us today,” he said. Asked about the necessity to make last-minute changes, he said he wanted to pick the best candidates for the election. “Politics is a performance. You must be seen doing things. You can be a very good man. You just get the seat, win the seat and after that dont act (work) at all. (Then) it can be (just) one term,” he said.
They don’t hate me
Samy Vellu also reminded MIC divisional leaders that seats were allocated for the party and not for the divisions. He said there had been cases of divisional chairmen claiming seats for themselves because the seats were in their divisions. “I said if you take that (argument, then) I cant contest in Sungai Siput next time. The president of the party has no place to go (to contest) because I am at the headquarters,” said Samy Vellu who does not hold any post at the divisional level. He said he would still give an opportunity to those who had served more than two terms, provided that they had performed well.
Asked on the incident in Butterworth last Saturday where his car was blocked by a group of people from leaving the compound of a school where he had earlier attended a function, Samy Vellu said the group was asking him to help secure the release of the Hindraf leaders. “There is no indication that they hate me. They came to my car to ask me to tell the prime minister to release them (those arrested).”Thats all they asked. They didn’t say anything about politics,” he said.
This may be my last term, says Samy Vellu
KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said this might be his last term contesting for the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat. “I will contest this term and next term I won’t go. This maybe, my last term,” he said in reply to a question from a reporter here Tuesday. Samy Vellu, 72, said that if the Indian community in the country decided that they did not want him, he was prepared to go even now. “I am prepared but that decision must be made by the Indian community and not by outsiders because I represent the Indians in the government,” he said.
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, who is also Housing and Local Government Minister, said last week that this general election would be the last for him.
Speaking to reporters after officiating the Pan-Commonwealth conference on professional services trade, he said there was no rift between him and his deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel. Samy Vellu said certain Tamil newspapers were trying to destroy the MIC by reporting that there is a rift in the leadership. “There are also lots of people trying to do that (create rift) but we will not allow that to happen,” he said, stressing that he would hand over the party to the man who is next to him when the time comes.
“I will give way at the opportune time. If I give just leave the party now, the party will go into disarray. “It is not that I wish to go on for another 100 years. I don’t live for 100 years. Everybody has a time to go,” he said.
Samy Vellu said that he was unhappy with some of the elected representatives who had failed to carry out their duties and was undertaking big changes this time. “I have decided to put in new faces including professionals and party members who are not highly qualified but very active in political work,” he said
On reports that certain MIC divisions were asking for locals to be fielding in the MIC state constituency, Samy Vellu said the seats does not belong to the divisions but it belongs to the party. “There are only three seats in Selangor but there are 18 divisions in the state. We give opportunity to each division chairman when the time comes,” he said.
On the Hindraf supporters blocking his car in Prai last Saturday, he said they had wanted him to tell Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to release 180 people who were detained for participating in an illegal assembly in Kuala Lumpur. “They did not talk anything about politics. This did not indicate that they hate me,” he said.
