Who is MIC Youth supporting for presidency?

/* February 3rd, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions 1 comment »
 Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


Rarely do we see MIC Youth (or any other wing) offering advice to the President, at least publicly. So, it came as a surprise when acting coordinator of MIC Youth made the following comments (Malaysiakini) :

MIC president S Samy Vellu must not only choose the right time to relinquish his post but also pick the right candidate to succeed him.

MCPX

In making this call, MIC Youth chief T Mohan said the issue of seniority should not arise when choosing a successor in order to ensure that the candidate is a person who would be able to push the party forward.

“Just because a leader has been there for a long time, it doesn’t mean that he should be handed the top post on a silver platter. MIC Youth does not believe in this practice.

“The successor should be a person who is young and vibrant,” he was quoted as saying by Tamil daily Malaysia Nanban yesterday.

However, Mohan did not mention if the Youth wing had any particular leader in mind whom it considers as the best replacement for Samy Vellu who has been at the helm for three decades.

Its interesting to note that the advisor for MIC Youth is none other than Vel Paari, Samy Vellu’s son – who is presumably  “young and vibrant”.

Current VP is Palanivel. Its expected that Dr S. Subramaniam will challenge Palanivel. Other potential candidates include Sothinathan and Dato Subra. Veterans will be Palanivel and Dato Subra. Relatively young is Dr S Subra and Sothinathan. Younger still will be Devamany and Saravanan, the two deputy ministers.

Of course, if Muthupalaniappan succeeds, all this will be meaningless!

1 comment »

Posted in Indian

Tags:

Uthaya’s sedition trial postponed due to diabetes

/* February 3rd, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
 Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


NST, Star, and Malaysiakini reported similar stuff:

ISA detainee P. Uthayakumar’s sedition trial has been postponed to April 28 to allow him to undergo treatment for diabetes.

He obtained a court order to refer him to a government hospital. He had initially asked to be sent to a private hospital (NST quoted Gleneagles)  but the request was rejected.

Earlier, at 10.50am, he aas brought to the KL Sessions Court at, wearing a white shirt and torn pants.

He hugged and shook hands with his mother, fiancee and supporters. Talking to reporters, he claimed he hurt his toe while in detention which is now turning black and could be amputated. He asked the prison authority to send him to Gleneagles Hospital for treatment but was ignored.

He also asked the ISA Advisory Board to release the other three lawyers, claiming that only he and his brother Waytha Moorthy were responsible for Hindraf. The rest are just legal advisors and not in charge of daily affairs.

The Star:

The ISA detainee wanted a private hospital but the court order gave him a government hospital.

He was brought to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for trial for sedition for publishing material on a website alleging “ethnic cleansing” of Malaysian Indians.

Earlier Tuesday,Uthayakumar had told reporters that he had asked the prison authorities to send him to a private hospital to attend to his swollen left leg but that they had not responded.

“My foot is darkening which shows acute diabetes. It is spreading to my toes. It can be chronic and shows risk of amputation.

“So today I asked my lawyers to get a court order so that I can get medical attention in a priovate hospital,” he said.

He also told reporters that he had informed the prison authorities that only he and his brother P. Waytha Moorthy, now in self-imposed exile abroad, were responsible for Hindraf.

He said the three other lawyers detained with him under ISA – M. Manoharan, V. S. Ganapathy Rao, K. Kengadhadran – were mere legal advisers and not involved in the day-to-day operations of the now-banned Hindraf.

The sedition trial against Uthayakumar is over a letter posted on a website linked to Hindraf. The original letter, addressed to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, highlighted alleged marginalisation of Indian Malaysians.

The letter also sought the British government’s help to move an emergency UN resolution condemning ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Malaysia.

He had been charged with sedition on Dec 11, 2007, and was on RM50,000 bail before being arrested two days later under the ISA, which provides for detention without trial.

Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act 1948 carries a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or a jail term not exceeding three years, or both for a first offence.

During the last hearing on Oct 20, 2008, the court heard arguments on alleged bias by the Attorney-General.

Defence counsel M Manogaran had claimed that the AG had sought to prosecute Uthayakumar over the letter as a result of “bad blood between them”.

As such he had said that the consent form signed by the AG was invalid.

Sessions Judge Sabariah Othman then adjourned the hearing to today to hear further submissions.

More than 45 people had gathered at the court complex this morning to support Uthayakumar.

No comments »

Posted in Indian

Tags:

MIC website under reconstruction, online registration soon

/* February 3rd, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
 Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


I guess the wheels are in motion already, because its says “website under construction” today!

mic-website-under-construction

Let’s see what are the new things MIC Portal is going to have:

MIC president S Samy Vellu said Indian Malaysians can soon become members of the party through online registration, a move he expect would bolster the party’s strength and unite Indians under one political party in the Barisan Nasional.

MCPX

The MIC is the latest among several BN component parties which have started online membership registration. Umno launched its online membership portal last week.

Samy Vellu said he was confident that the move which was in line with the party’s ‘Unity Plan for the Indian Malaysians’, could increase MIC membership to at least 50,000 people initially.

MIC currently has about 630,000 members with almost 5,000 branches.

… “Once the MIC portal is launched soon, we will embark on a massive online membership registration,” he said in a statement.

Samy Vellu said the MIC was targetting professionals and those who failed to become members through existing branches for various reasons.

“The MIC headquarters will admit them as members directly into the party without having to go through the branches which some feel is cumbersome,” he said.

He said the first phase of the MIC portal would include an eBlog, eForum, eComplaint, polls, latest news and announcements as well as information on all MIC subsidiaries, the MIED and the Social Strategic Foundation.

“The second phase will include Tele-Centre, a project that allows Indians to get jobs and work professionally from their home and also an Online Extensive Survey form accessible by every branch officer which allows them to get in-depth information about the Indians staying under their jurisdiction,” he added.

Wow! That’s quite a handful. Unfortunately, there’s no mention of any dates when all these will be available. And perhaps someone can inform those in charge to drop the “e” from “eBlog” – its kind of redundant, if you know what I mean.

No comments »

Posted in Indian

Tags:

Keedah ADUN Arumugam threatened

/* February 3rd, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
 Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


From NST:

Bukit Selambau assemblyman V. Arumugam has lodged a police report that threats have been made on his life and that of his family if he did not leave PKR and join the Barisan Nasional.

The state PKR deputy chairman, who is also state Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman, lodged the report at the Sungai Petani police station yesterday afternoon.

He said this was not the first time he was lodging a report with the police over similar threats, purportedly by agents of Barisan Nasional.

Arumugam, a former Royal Malaysian Air Force officer, said there were attempts to “kidnap” him last October.

“Many people approached me and asked me to defect to BN while others threatened me to do so.

“I will not budge. I was elected under the PKR ticket and I vow to stay with the people who have elected me into office.”

He said last December, someone smashed the windscreen of his official car with a brick which carried a note threatening his life if he did not defect to BN.

He said the latest incidents involving the two Perak PKR assemblymen compelled him to make public the threats on his life and family.

“A few days ago, some people approached me with lucrative offers to leave PKR.

“All these are very scary and I want the police to investigate all my complaints,” he said, adding that yesterday’s report was his third with the police since last year.

From Malaysiakini:

Amid the political turmoil in Perak, a PKR elected representative in Kedah has filed a police report claiming among others that there was an attempt to kidnap him.
Bukit Selambau assemblyperson V Arumugam also claimed that he and his officers have received numerous threats.

“All of this is being done in order to force me to leave PKR and move to Barisan Nasional,” alleged the state exco in a statement today.

Arumugam had filed the police report at the Sungai Petani district police headquarters this afternoon.

Apart from the alleged ‘kidnap’ attempt last November, the assemblyperson claimed that he had also received threats via the telephone.   

“On Dec 12, there was an incident where the windscreen of the official exco car (Proton Perdana) was smashed and there was a note containing a threat which was tied to a brick.

“A few days ago, several individuals had approached me with lucrative offers in order to coax me into leaving PKR,” he said.

According to Arumugam, the latest incident involving two PKR assemblypersons in Perak had motivated him to make this matter public.

“I am worried that if I do not come forward, then the safety of my family would continue to be threatened.

“I also call on the police to investigate all my police reports since March 2008 and take the necessary action,” he added.

No comments »

Posted in Indian

Tags:

1.3 million expected at Batu Caves for Thaipusam

/* February 3rd, 2009 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
 Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


The Star reported that :

A record-breaking 1.3 million devotees and visitors are expected to pack Batu Caves for the Thaipusam celebration this Sunday.

The figure is an increase from the one million people that attended the celebration last year. The Batu Caves temple committee has been making preparations to cater to the expected massive crowd.

Recently, it spent RM640,000 to improve basic amenities like public toilets and water supply. There will also be more than 600 stalls selling food, drinks, trinkets, clothing and souvenirs.

Security is another aspect being stressed on. More than 1,000 policemen will be stationed at the temple grounds and its surrounding area on that day.

Also for the first time, there will be a 15-minute fireworks display on the eve of Thaipusam. The fireworks would be lighted at midnight, followed by a chariot procession.

I’m surprised that it mentioned 1 million people attended Thaipusam at Batu Caves last year. Practically everyone knows the community boycotted Batu Caves last year, resulting in huge drop of visitors. Just search my previous postings.

Anyway, looks like no calls for boycott this year from any quarters. Perhaps those concerned about the condition of SJKT Batu Caves may want to highlight their grievances to the public.   The  public may be very interested to know how much the temple have helped the school for the last decade at least.

No comments »

Posted in Indian, Religion

Tags: