Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Among the hottest news in the community is the possible merger of MIC, PPP, and IPF. IPF’s leader is fighting for life in the hospital. News is that he is hooked up to machines, and not sure how long he has. He is diagnosed with leukemia. PPP, the “mosquito party”, will cease to be multiracial if it joins MIC. No news yet about MIUP. But since some of its leaders have returned to PKR, I guess Nalla will go opposite direction and fall on SV’s feet. Either that or join DAP !
As for PPP, Kayveas may be without a party come 2013. They have no representative at any level unlike MIC or Gerakan. At the moment, PPP is living on history and nostalgia, but how long can this be sustained? The younger voters most likely won’t even know about PPP’s role and presence historically. PPP can choose to join Gerakan or MIC since it has some ex-KIMMA members. Or Kayveas can just jump ship 🙂 Err…maybe still waiting for another senatorship?
IPF is just waiting for next leader to take over. Leadership tussle may occur since Pandithan has mentioned that he won’t anoint a replacement, but leave to the members to choose. Some members may return to MIC, and this would definitely strengthen MIC.
Next is Subra. There’s no denying that some members are still loyal to him. Bringing him on will heal some of the wound. But if Samy doesn’t go in next few months and give way to smooth succession, Subra’s followers may get restless. Anyway, MI’s election is in mid 2009. Plenty of time for each of the candidates – SV, Subra, Palanivel, Dr Subra, Devamany, Saravanan etc to build their name and support.
Finally, the man himself. Now needing to reaffirm the “sole champion and protector of the indian community” role, he will be touring the country to try attract younger Indians and dissatisfied member to have faith in MIC. In order to leave behind a legacy, Samy have to restrategise. Subra, Pandithan, Kayveas may very well be pawns which will be sacrificed at the correct time. In the end, what matters is that SV regains his stature, name and power.
But what people want is total change. A clean cut from the baggage and legacy of last 30 years. Revamp of the constitution and setup. A urgent EGM or special assembly. Forget the country’s Indians first. MIC must call up all its members and get their feedback without fear or favour. But all we are hearing is SV talking and others taking up familiar yes-man roles. See any familiar trend here?
The coming months will be exciting indeed for the community.
Samy, Subra bury hatchet
By A. LETCHUMANAN
KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and his arch rival, former deputy Datuk S. Subramaniam have agreed to bury the hatchet and “let bygones be bygones” for the sake of Indians’ solidarity among the Indian community. “I want to put an end to all the disputes I may have with Subramaniam. Now is the time to strengthen the party,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the party’s central working committee.
Samy Vellu said he and Subramaniam had met for one-and-a-half hours on Tuesday and had also informed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on their intention to work together. Subramaniam would be allowed to contest in the 2009 party polls, he added.
He said the MIC would be spearheading an alliance after discussions with the Indian Progressive Front, People’s Progresssive Party, splinter groups as well as Indian non-governmental organisations to unite and fight for the rights and the future of the Indian community.
“I have already had discussions with Subramaniam and PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas on working together. We would have similar discussions with IPF president Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan,” he said.
Samy, Subra and Kayveas agree to bury hatchet
BERNAMA
source
KUALA LUMPUR, WED:
MIC President Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu and his former deputy Datuk S. Subramaniam have agreed to bury the hatchet and “let bygones be bygones” for the sake of Indians’ solidarity in the wake of the party’s dismal showing in last Saturday’s general election. Samy Vellu and Subramaniam, who were at loggerheads for more than 30 years, have agreed to reconcile their differences for the Indian community’s future.
“I want to put an end to all the disputes I may have with Datuk Subra before this. Now is the time to strengthen the party,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the central working committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body.
The MIC supremo even went a step further, giving Subramaniam the green light to contest for any post in the party elections next year. Asked whether Subramaniam was eligible to contest in the party polls, Samy Vellu said: ” Why not, he can contest, no problems.”
The MIC chief said he held a 90-minute meeting with Subramaniam yesterday during which the latter expressed his willingness to help consolidate the largest Indian-based party and to bring back its past glory. ” He (Datuk Subramanian) has volunteered to give several recommendations to rebuild and reinvent MIC. In fact, he wanted to see me two months ago, but since I was busy, we could not meet. ” Our decision to bury the hatchet and work together has been conveyed to the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi),” he said.
Samy Vellu’s goodwill gesture to patch up with his one-time bitter foe comes in the wake of the poor election results, which sent top MIC leaders tumbling, leaving the party support at an all-time low. The rivalry between the two leaders came to head when Subramanian, better known as “Subra” in MIC circles, was kicked out of the MIC NO. 2 post in the 2006 party elections. With Samy Vellu’s blessings, his “blue-eyed boy” Datuk G. Palanivel defeated the long-serving Subramaniam.
MIC big guns bury the hatchet
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/79662
MIC president S Samy Vellu and his former estranged deputy S Subramaniam have agreed to set aside their differences to rebuild the party after it was crushed in the March 8 polls. According to party sources, the veteran politicians met recently to discuss the matter. It is believed that the meeting took place at Samy Vellu’s house in Kuala Lumpur. The president was also said to have relayed his decision to work together with Subramaniam for the sake of party unity to all MIC top leaders.
Apart from this, sources said Samy Vellu and PPP president M Kayveas have also agreed to cooperate and not attack each other in future. This decision was reached when the two leaders met at the Barisan Nasional (BN) supreme council meeting on Monday. Kayveas, the former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, was also defeated in the polls.
‘Saddest day in my political life’
During a press conference at his residence in Petaling Jaya yesterday evening, Subramaniam said he had offered to help rebuild MIC.”March 8 was the saddest day of my political life. Although I did not contest, it was sad to see so many BN seats fall and even sadder to see MIC lose so many seats.
“It was very painful to see such results meted out by the people,” he said, adding that all quarters must accept the fact that something is wrong. …
Return to the foldSubramaniam said as a long-time deputy president, he had witnessed the party grow in strength and everybody must learn from Saturday’s lesson.Revealing that he spoke to Samy Vellu on Monday, the former deputy president said he was confident that MIC could be rebuilt and reinvented with help from all quarters.”It should become an open party to all Indians. Nobody has to be on the outside. All of them should come forward to help the party regain its former strength,” he said. Asked if this included those in the Indian Progressive Front (IPF) as well, Subramaniam said all were welcome.
“Those out of the party (MIC) did not necessarily leave on their own, they went out for different reasons,” he said alluding to those who were expelled or sidelined by Samy Vellu. IPF was started by MG Pandithan, a former MIC vice-president expelled by Samy Vellu. Both leaders have since patched up as well.
On whether he would vie for positions in the party, Subramaniam replied: “There is no point in looking for positions in a weakened party.” The veteran politician said he would derive happiness from helping to rebuild the party and added that he believes the BN leadership would also welcome this move. He also conceded that the MIC grassroots were “confused” and “wanted direction.”
Is Samy Vellu to blame?
Subramaniam was also asked to comment on the suggestion that Samy Vellu was the reason behind MIC’s shocking performance. “Now is not the time to point fingers,” he said. “We have to look at ways and means to strengthen the party.”
On the calls for the president to vacate his post, Subramaniam said he does not believe the party would become stronger just because Samy Vellu leaves.”But everybody has to leave at some point of time,” he added. “Everybody has to do their part, they don’t have to hold positions to stay. I don’t have positions but I can help, I can recruit more members and talk to people (about the party),” he said. Samy Vellu, 72, has been president of MIC for the past 28 years and critics had constantly accused him of ruling with an iron fist.
On ways to redeem MIC, Subramaniam stressed that there should not be arrogance and the party must get closer to the people to become a “people’s party.” “With the right strategies and right approaches, it can be built back,” he said. “We need to get closer to the people, the party is weak, the president has lost. It is a sad thing, I have no joy in seeing what I helped build destroyed.”
He also said MIC needed bright young people to win over the hearts of the younger generation in the community.
Responding to a question on whether race-based parties still have a future in this country, he said even multiracial parties talk about the ethnicity of their candidates. “There was one multiracial party which did not field any Indian candidates in the polls and there was much hue and cry over this,” he added in reference to Gerakan which was also trounced in the elections.
It appears to be a pathetic exercise. The failed yester year ‘leaders” are now coming together to “rebuild” the MIC! Or do they see an opportunity for themselves and to build their own political stock and sneak back in ?!
I will be willing to consider them to be sincere in their offers to come together to help “rebuild MIC” if they declare that MIC will stay out of positions in the Government for this parliamentary term!
Go back to the grass roots and rebuild it from ground up! Get a structure that cannot be manipulated by the leader to his advantage and to his whim and fancy whenever he chooses to!
Over and above that these leaders who claim to have the interests of the Indians in their hearts and not of their own interests should categorically state that they will not put up accept any nomination to any position in the party or government or parliament in the future. They can help groom and help leaders from the ground up.
There are heaps of young men and women in our community of enormous talent and capability in various fields. I am led to believe that they have been keeping out of it all because of the sewage they have to be dragged through to finally get the blessings of the likes of people like SV. The few who finally sit on a seat of importance have to take care of themselves and keep nodding & support the nonsense utterred by leaders like SV!
We do not have to reinvent the wheel. We have to purge the entire set up of the present MIC including the few who have been elected in this last elections! Lets us not be a slave to the Barisan and keep our options open and decide on who is the best to help our community!
Vazhga Makkal Sakthi – it has come a catch cry like Vande Maduram!