Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Fans of mega serials would be familiar with the first two names – Chitti and Annamalai, both popular Tamil Nadu mega serials running for more that a year. The third, however, is our own real-life mega serial, made in Malaysia drama starring the MP for Kapar Manikavasagam, with a star studded cast ranging from political parties, newspapers and politicians.
Manikavasagam won the Kapar parliamentary seat handsomely, trashing the incumbent Komala Devi from MIC in the March elections. However, the problems in his constituency has not been solved due to various factors – lack of funds and lack of co0peration from others.
He was upset when temple demolition still happened in Selangor after the new government took over. He was under pressure from HINDRAF and the Indian community since the new government promised that no temples would be demolished. In fact, after the Kaliamman temple in Ampang was demolished by Ampang Jaya municipal council, the 3 man committee was supposed to release a report of their investigation. Nothing seen until today. Email also went unanswered.
Add to this the land issues in Kapar, high crime rate, and large population of Indians in the area, Manikavasagam has a lot on his hand. Kapar is also one of the largest parliamentary seat in the peninsular. The Indian voters make up 12% or so, above the average population.
He had threatened to resign from his PKR deputy liason post once before this – during the temple demolition in Ampang, but retracted his decision when the Deputy President of MPAJ was suspended.
Thus it did not come as a surprise when Mike (as he is popularly known) used the same tactic over the Klang Sentral fiasco. But this time he added that he will even resign from PKR over the Klang Sentral bus station which was built in Meru to relocate the existing bus station in the middle of Klang town. Mike said he will resign by the New Year:
He said he was “disappointed with the attitude of Selangor PKR leaders”, whom he said were neglecting the needs of the people.
“I have made up my mind and it’s final. I’m not joking and I’m very serious this time,” said the 43-year-old first-time MP, who is also party’s supreme council member.
“This decision is indeed a firm action and it will be my New Year ‘gift’ to the party,” he told the English daily.
His unhappiness is partly due to Selangor Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Kim, who branded him as “behaving like opposition” over the Klang Sentral problem. Teng had also hit out at Klang MP Charles Santiago over the same issue.
Selangor MB was implicated as well, when he was claimed to have said that the MP was “free to go”:
Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has taken a hard stand on S. Manikavasagam’s threat to quit PKR, saying the Kapar MP was free to do so.
Khalid, who is also from PKR, also said he was not going to meet with Manikavasagam to convince him to stay.
“PKR does not encourage him to make that decision but it is his decision,” he said.
However, the MB’s press secretariat later issued a statement denying the report:
We would like to state that:
1 At no time during the press conference did the menteri besar say that ‘he was not interested to meet Kapar MP S Manikavasagam or ask him to reconsider his decision to quit PKR as stated in the Page N1 article.2. When the menteri besar was asked if he was willing to meet the Kapar MP, he replied that as a parliamentarian, it would be a better avenue for MP to meet the party’s leader.
We would also like to stress that there was nothing mentioned on ‘Kapar MP is free to go’ as suggested in the of the page N6 article.
Even PAS president Hadi Awang had his say – asking Manikavasagam to resign his MP post if he quits PKR. He said Manikavasagam should stand as an independent candidate in the event a by-election is held if he resigns.
The public spat (which the mainstream media are accused for inflating and misusing) made PKR worried. The deputy president of PKR, Dr Syed Husin asked the relevant members (MB Khalid Ibrahim, Teng, Charles Santiago, and Manikavasagam) to not make public statements.
“They should sit down and discuss and settle their differences and conflicts internally. There are various existing channels and procedures to do so,” said Syed Husin.
At that time, Anwar Ibrahim is not in the country, so there’s nothing much he can do. But thes Star reported that Anwar agreed there’s a “difference of opinion” among the MPs.
MPs are expected to be flush with cash, and able to help the poor people immediately. According to one NST report:
Manikavasagam’s complaint of limited funds also made his job of servicing his voters all the more difficult since many still look to a wakil rakyat for financial aid.
A former MP who declined to be identified revealed how his poorer constituents had often approached him for help to pay for their electricity bills and to ask for grocery money.
He highlighted about lack of funds as early as in October in an interview with NST. But, recently, he said he was running up debt because had to spend so much to help the rakyat. So, is there a problem with the allocations? Some money issue? Could this be the real reason for his outbursts?
However, after all those dramas and tit-for-tat comments, Manikavasagam decides not to quit PKR, instead he resigned from his Deputy Liason position only.
Mike also scoffed at suggestions that he would jump ship:
Manikavasagam admitted that he had been approached to join BN but had not been offered any money.
“I immediately rejected it as I will live or die with Parti Keadilan Rakyat,” he told the New Straits Times after meeting about 100 party members and the public at his service centre here yesterday.
The mega serial is set to run for quite some time as the battle front changes location to Chennai. However, The three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, better known as the Indian Diaspora Conference ended on last Saturday without much news on Mike. By the way, he was supposed to meet Waythamoorthy over certain issues, so something may have transpired there.
In the meantime, MB Khalid organised a summit on the Klang Sentral problem, while Manikavasagam was away in India. Mike was unhappy and claimed it was purposed held at that time so that he couldn’t participate. This was denied by Khalid who stressed on the urgency of the problem as the reason for organising the summit ASAP, at the same time acknowledging that YB Mike has done a lot to highlight the issue. All parties, including the public were invited to the meeting. Charles Santiago went as well. The problems were discussed and its expected that by end of February all teething problems will be settled. But the terminal remains in Meru. And the public can view the Klang Sentral contract during office hours.
YB Mike should be back by now, so let’s see what he has to say. The public may not be happy that he threatens to resign since they voted him on PKR ticket. He is expected to solve problems, not create more problems for the people. I think he should stick with the party and show people he is doing the work. They will appreciate him more in that way. For example, he even helped some residents near my housing area to obtain water meters from Syabas after the housing developer neglected their project. If you do the work on the ground, then the people will know your contribution. That’s the best way to ensure your longevity in politics.
Now, Mike is expected to meet Anwar and clear the air. Since everyone is busy with the by election in Terengganu, I suspect this matter will be postponed to a much later date.
BUT, I think this mega serial will be having a long run. Just sit back and enjoy the show, as they say 🙂
Hahahaha..Mega Serial is the right word for this messy made in Kollywood masala drama.
Any way the real issue here is not Mike but bigger issue of HINDRAF and its role in PR. When you ride a tiger, get off it on time or be prepared to be eaten.
I had been saying this for months now. PR never really supported HINDRAF’s struggle and merely used Makkal Sakthi. In fact even their Indian MPs merely used Indians’ sentiments to their advantage (gain votes) rather than really being supportive. If you see most of these Indian PR MPs are not grassroot or working class people like MIC folks. These are lawyers and doctors from rich family background. The only one whom I know who has an affinity to the poor is the MP for Sg Siput. But then never been into helping Indians in particular but more of a supporter of socialist policies. In fact he spoke against HINDRAF at that time.
So that’s why after GE, the PR govts did not fulfill their pledges to Indians but merely rewarded their Indian leaders. Many HINDRAF ppl were surprised when PR Indian leaders turned against them and condemned them as racists and refused to fulfill promises.
However, the PR supporters in HINDRAF managed to buy time hoping (stupidly) that when Anwar becomes PM they will get their chance. But since 916 proved to be a damp squib and a non-starter, they began to get restless. They were in a Catch-22 position. They couldn’t leave or attack PR since they asked Indians to vote for them. But they couldnt continue in PR either.
Mike in a very difficult situation as the only MP who was from HINDRAF (despite his PR membership). The people’s expectation was high as he is from HINDRAF but PR did nothing to help him to deliver promises made prior to GE. He received very little help financially too. He had temples demolished in his own backyard. The gangsters he fought for before, returned to Kapar to create havoc. When he raised his concerns he was labelled as a racists by PKR and DAP people. The only reason he has survived so far is due to his “connection” with Anwar.
Mike wont resign as MP since he loves the power and status of of the position to be addictive. He wont leave PKR since he will not get his high level status in another PR party. He will not join BN as he had been fighting them for years. As such there is not much option for him but to have a face-saving meeting with Anwar and then announce after that he will stay after an appeal by Anwar without giving details.
However, this will not conclude the issue. DAP, PAS and PKR people will be waiting for an opportunity to kill him off. And we can safely assume that he be an one-term MP. In the meantime, I predict Mike to slowly lose his credibility with Indians in Kapar and elsewhere since he couldn’t deliver. I read somewhere that Mike wants to be the next SV and I believe he will soon become SV but of the post March 2008 version.
Just look at the messages in the blogs that condemned Mike as racist and HINDRAF as a thuggish group. These coming from PR supporters (including Indians) is a lesson that I hope HINDRAF/MS people learn from.
To me, the only way out with diginity for Mike (if he is reading this is) that he resigns and forms an independent NGO that advocates Indian rights and works as a pressure group. It is better for HINDRAF to remain as a NGO that get sucked into politics and get screwed by PR. It is better for Mike to resign as a MP now rather than lose all his credibility with Indians and other Kaparians later.