From the Star. Interesting to note that he doesn’t plan to stay for long (3 terms – meaning less than 6 years?).

He has been a journalist, consumer activist, press secretary and is a politician. On Monday, Datuk G. Palanivel, 61, became the eighth MIC president, replacing Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, 74. But can he bring change and fill the vacuum left by Samy Vellu? He talks about his plans for the party, his boss and the Indian community.

Is this something that you have always wanted – to become MIC president one day?

Not initially. When I worked as a press secretary to Samy Vellu, I never thought I would become the president. In the earlier years, yes, when I was in primary and secondary school, I thought I could be a great leader. But when I joined him, he was like a giant to me. So, I never thought of replacing him.

I thought he would be there forever and I would retire with him or even before him. The fact that it is coming to me, I think it is all destiny… it is fated. If something is fated, you cannot run away from it.

I am well prepared. Samy Vellu has taught me how to handle the political ropes over the years. I have learnt a lot on how to handle a situation – how to position the army, how to attack, how to lie low, when to really advance. He has taught me many things. He is giving the party to me now, as he knows I can stand on my own feet.

Samy Vellu has been the MIC president for 31 years. How do you plan to fill his shoes?

I cannot fill his shoes. I have to walk on my own. His style is different – a domineering, powerful, committed, charismatic leader who speaks with candour. He attracts attention.

I am a humble, committed, quiet, low profile yet performing leader, which he appreciates. He knows I perform. He knows I can deliver and achieve targets. I cannot be a leader like Samy Vellu. I am my own man. Samy Vellu himself tells me: “you are different and I am different.” Our styles are different.

Can you shake off Samy Vellu’s shadow?

These are all irrelevant questions because Samy Vellu knows that I stand on my own. We disagree more than we agree.

Despite that, he thinks I am the most suitable guy. Mostly because of my years of experience, as a four-term MP, one-term treasurer-general, three terms vice-president, two terms deputy president and I have been divisional and state chairman.

Some have the impression that although Samy Vellu is out of the picture now, he will still call the shots.

I am not saying that I will call the shots because those are words that give a wrong perception. I will make the decisions. He has told me very clearly: “Just like me, you must have the power to make the decisions.”

I think he has given up being a president. He would not want to become a president again. He has got a different role now, a much higher role and position. There are some people who would be life-long leaders and he is one of them. He will not be just an armchair critic.

Some say you are just warming the seat for younger leaders, such as MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan.

They will all come up. My job is to develop them. That is my ambition – to develop the next generation of leaders.

The notion is that you got the position of deputy president and now president because you are Samy Vellu’s man?

There is a lot of truth in it. I will not deny that. But it is always the combined support, and not one-man support that makes a person win. In the last party election, I had my own team and strategic thinkers. I told my team to go for 200 more votes and I got it. It was a crucial victory.

Some say you are not vocal enough.

I have always been vocal and expressive, even in CWC meetings, but I am not confrontational. My party leaders know me. I may not allow myself to be known to everyone. I have always concentrated on the bottom 50%.

I have not concentrated on the top 20%. Being with them, lobbying them, socialising with them, sitting in their houses – I did not do that. I am always with the people. Maybe that was my weakness – that I neglected all these top guys.

Would you be a ‘my way or no way’ leader?

I will be an inclusive leader but a president has the right to make decisions.

In our party, the CWC is the most powerful body so I will listen, be guided by them and make the decisions I think I should make.

I will empower the working committee. Samy Vellu also listened to the CWC. I would not say that for Samy Vellu, it was his way or no way. He was a good leader. You cannot dispute that.

I want to build the party around the people. I want to listen to people, empower them and help them improve. And at the same time strengthen past initiatives and where necessary introduce new ones.

What are your plans for the party as the new president?

We want to go down to the people. We want to try as much as possible to relate ourselves to the people. We must go back to the people. That will be the party’s slogan.

My main idea is to develop this party into a strong formidable force and mobilise the Indian votes. I do not have a personal, selfish or greedy agenda.

What are your plans to help the Indian community be it education, welfare, etc?

Empowerment. I will introduce programmes that build capacity. My job is not to build the organisation around myself but to build it around people.

I want to create hundreds of powerful leaders on the ground and build leadership and service-oriented people on the ground.

We are a minority community which needs the government’s help. We want the community to move forward, to be empowered and to be in the mainstream of development. The government must take care of us. Take care of us and the Indian votes will come back. Neglect us and the votes will run away.

Indians should be given a good quality of life; many are struggling.

If the government can look into our plight and solve all these problems, then these votes will come back.

Deprivation leads to violence. We have to work hard but the government must work harder.

Would you bring back former vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan and former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam into the leadership fold?

They are all in the party. They have to contest for the posts. I cannot pick or drop people. My idea is to democratise the party more.. I will not dictate.

If Datuk Subramaniam wants to make a comeback he is welcome. It is a democracy.

It has been said that the MIC leadership is based on caste. Is this true? How are you going to break this?

I will be a very inclusive leader. I come from a small group. Being a minor person in the caste structure, I can play a more neutral role, bringing together all different groups under one umbrella.

But these are not major issues. As a community we are all Indians. I would like to override the caste issue.

I will not perpetuate caste. I will look at merit, ability and performance.

It is the tradition for MIC president to be given a Minister’s post.

The long time desire of the Indian community is to have two Ministers (as in the 1970s). But I am not going to chase for it. I want to do a good job for my party.

MIC has faced problems in regaining support from the Indian community, many of whom see the party as irrelevant.

To say that the MIC is irrelevant is not totally right. That is the perception that people have created that we have become irrelevant.

If you look at our website, our activities, how we went round Selangor in the last two months for Deepavali and all that, we saw there is great revivalism.

Interest in the party has not died. Indians regard this party as a mother party. No race-based party will become irrelevant. Our relevance will depend on how well we are able to mobilise Indian support.

We did not distance ourselves. Over time, the political landscape has changed. Democracy has matured.

Our dominance has been broken just like Umno, MCA and other component parties.

How do you plan to convince splinter groups such as Hindraf and Makkal Sakthi to rejoin MIC?

My first important task is to strengthen our own support base. We have almost 4,000 branches.

My job is to politically educate my own members on party loyalty and discipline, mobilise Indian votes and liberalise and democratise the party so that more people will join. We have our own methods.

But there is a revivalism in Indian support, Indian votes and the MIC.

How would you convince young Indians who have lost faith in the party to give MIC a chance?

We have to deal with voters in the cyberworld and look at ways and means to deal with this group that is anonymous but will vote on Election Day. We have to be in touch with them

I do not think so the young have brushed us off. We are in the universities. We are in touch with them. I would not know which group has lost faith in us.

Indians are also attracted to the inclusive policies of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. And they will give us another chance because of the policies of the present government.

We want to bring Indian votes back to Barisan.

They are coming back. We are happy with it. We want to increase it further and work in a focused way.

How long will you stay?

I am not going to go for three terms. I am 61 years now. I have a family. I have grandchildren whom I miss a lot. They are moving soon as my son is going to work in Australia. I want to do a good job, create the next generation of leaders, leave behind a strong party and mobilise the Indian votes. And then I will go.

I am a contented person. I am happy, satisfied, not overambitious, overselfish or greedy, chasing for power and not wanting to let go; I do not belong to that category.

You have been a journalist, consumer activist and politician. Which best describes you?

Activist. I have been an activist since my Consumear Association of Penang days. I am an outspoken and humble leader who distances himself from the rich and famous.

I am strong like the rock of Gibraltar. I won the deputy president’s post in the last party election without holding a government post.

I am a very motivated person. I have a lot of drive, enthusiasm, commitment, sincerity to push through programmes and to deliver. I am a hands-on type of a person.

I listen to people. I do not overreact or get angry. Of course, I carry a lot of things in my heart. I can take it in one ear and let it out through the other ear. I will not overreact.

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