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By : Suganthi Suparmaniam
source
SUNGKAI: MIC vice-president Datuk S. Veerasingam, who will be contesting the Sungkai state seat in Perak, is looking forward to serving his constituents again.
The Tapah MP had served two terms as Sungkai assemblyman from 1990 to 1999.
Veerasingam, who is also deputy minister of domestic trade and consumer affairs, is facing DAP’s N. Sivanesan. Sivanesan is the lawyer representing Hindu Rights Action Force leaders.
Sungkai has some 75 per cent non-Malay voters, including 20 per cent Indians.
Veerasingam’s parliamentary seat has gone to Federal Territory MIC chief, Datuk M. Saravanan.
“I had to go round the country before, but now I am restricted to Perak,” said Veerasingam, in jest.
He said the people of Sungkai were happy to hear he was back. “Everywhere I went, I think I did my job well. The people also liked me. I was happy with my job and I enjoyed it,” he said, claiming that when he left the state constituency in 1999, many of the Sungkai people cried.
One of his contributions to the people of Perak was giving housing lots to some 2,000 people in the Sungkai A18 area and Bidor Station. Preference was given to estate workers who had left the estate and had no other place to live.
A passion for helping people motivated the former primary school teacher to get involved in politics.
He joined MIC in 1965. In 1967, he became the vice-president of the Kampar branch. Five years later he became the branch chairman. In 1978, he contested and became a state committee member.
In 1990, at the age of 40, Veerasingam contested the Sungkai state seat and won with a majority of 1,000 votes. He won again in 1995 with a comfortable majority of almost 5,000 votes. He was also appointed Perak MIC deputy chief and elected a central working committee member before contesting the Tapah parliamentary seat.
A day before the 2004 polling day, Veerasingam’s 84-year-old father passed away.
On his age, he said: “At 66 today, I feel very young. Maybe it’s due to my involvement in sports. I have also been working and delivering all the while.”
Some people claimed that Veerasingam had been too quiet and passive during his years at the federal level. “We don’t have to make noise. The most important thing is to get the work done.”I have done my work. What more do they want?”
He also believes MIC is more relevant than ever before and that it will continue to fight for the Indians in the country. “Things can only be done through the system.”
