Posts Tagged ‘ISA’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Samy Vellu gives RM500,000 grant for IPF building

July 2nd, 2007
|  Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


err…the 500k grant from where ah?
 
KUALA LUMPUR, Mon:
Indian Progressive Front members are happy that the party will remain intact.

Party deputy president V. Senggutuan said the move will help the IPF eventually join the Barisan Nasional.

"But joining the BN is not our only intention. We just want to work together with the MIC for the good of the Indian community," he said.

He said the move to invite MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to open the IPF national conference was good as it would help improve ties between leaders of both parties.

Last month, unhappy IPF veterans and former members asked party president Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan to step down if he wanted to merge the party with the MIC.

They also wanted former secretary-general K.Panjamurthi to lead the party.

Ampang Pandan division deputy chairman P. Ragawan said those who had made an issue of the possible merger did not get positions at the divisional level.

"Our members wanted a younger generation to lead them. That caused some of the veterans to be sidelined. They were unhappy and created problems," he said.

Party vice-president V. Mathiyalagan said the announcement that IPF would not be dissolved indicates that Pandithan had the best interests of the party at heart.

Meanwhile, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is a believer in the adage that one should walk the talk.

The MIC president announced a RM500,000 grant towards the construction of IPF’s headquarters in Serdang. The IPF still owes close to RM800,000 on the RM5 million building.

Pandithan later awarded Samy Vellu the title "Champion of Indians".

Samy Vellu, in his speech, also called for IPF members not to regard the Tafe college in Seremban and the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) in Kedah as MIC institutions.

"Please enrol your children in the institutions. Although we are in different parties, we still have the same blood," he said drawing loud applause from the floor.

Also present at the IPF general assembly were former health minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng, MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel, MIC vice-president Datuk S. Veerasingham, Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Suhakam Commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam.

Comments Off on Samy Vellu gives RM500,000 grant for IPF building »

Posted in Indian

Tags:

Samy:No party merger, only brotherhood

July 2nd, 2007
|  Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


By : Ranjeetha Pakiam and Suganthi Suparmaniam

 
Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu (right) hugging Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan as the latter was delivering his speech at the IPF annual general assembly yesterday.
Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu (right) hugging Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan as the latter was delivering his speech at the IPF annual general assembly yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR, Mon:

The Indian Progressive Front will not be dissolved.

Instead, it will continue to work with the MIC towards the development and progress of the Indian community.

Its president, Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan, set to rest fears about a possible merger with the MIC yesterday by declaring that he would always remain "an IPF man".

He also quelled rumours about a possible return to the MIC which he left after a confrontation with MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, nearly 20 years ago.

"The question of my future is being asked. What is my future? What is the future of IPF?
"Today, I would like to emphasise that I would like to die an IPF man. IPF will never be dissolved. Instead, we will co-operate with Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and the MIC," he said.

The eagerly-awaited announcement was greeted with cheers by the 3,000 members who had gathered for the IPF general assembly at Menara PGRM yesterday.

Samy Vellu echoed Pandithan and said: "MIC wants Pandithan to continue leading the IPF. There is no question of the IPF’s dissolution."

Before the IPF general assembly, there had been wide speculation about IPF’s possible dissolution and Pandithan’s return to the MIC.

The rumours were stoked by Pandithan’s invitation to Samy Vellu to open the general assembly. Articles in the Tamil newspaper, Makkal Osai, also claimed that the IPF would soon be dissolved. Pandithan later said he would not take legal action against the paper as he claimed to have "not taken them seriously".

He also said the party would continue in its struggle to be accepted as a component of the Barisan Nasional and remained positive about IPF’s prospects, although he feels this could take time.

On IPF’s entry into BN, Samy Vellu remained non-committal. "I do not know. This is something we have only discussed in our hearts. We have no opinion on this for the moment."

While delivering his speech, Pandithan was interrupted at one point when Samy Vellu walked over to the podium to give him a warm hug.

Pandithan said he would work with Samy Vellu whom he considered as his political mentor.

"I will only leave you upon my death," he said.

The bad blood between Samy Vellu and Pandithan began in 1988 when Pandithan, who was then an MIC vice-president, was sacked from the party with 13 supporters, for holding a hunger strike in front of the MIC headquarters. They had appeared with a coffin, after being issued a show-cause letter for allegedly practising caste-oriented politics.

In August 1990, Pandithan formed the IPF.

Earlier this year, Pandithan and Samy Vellu buried the hatchet and both their political parties campaigned for the Barisan Nasional in the Ijok by-election on April 28, which was won by MIC’s K. Parthiban.

Comments Off on Samy:No party merger, only brotherhood »

Posted in Indian

Tags:

Sivaji The Boss – Rajini 2.0

July 2nd, 2007
|  Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


Rajini 2.0 : The modern, IT savvy, hip and cool updated version of Rajini.

Sivaji the Boss, or Bachelor of Social Service was in the making for a long time, and its arrival was hugely talked about all over the world among the Indians. It was released about three weeks back. This movie created a few records – costliest Indian movie ever (60++ millions rupees), Rajini’s 100th Tamil movie, first movie combining Shankar, AR Rahman, and Rajini, and many more.

I was at One Utama, in a half full Cineplex. And it was the most quiet Tamil movie crowd I have ever heard. We were all fascinated and enthralled by various aspects of the movie – fairer Rajini, Shreya, the settings etc. » Read more: Sivaji The Boss – Rajini 2.0

3 comments »

Posted in Movies

Tags:

IPF won’t be dissolved as long as I’m alive

July 2nd, 2007
|  Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


Wonder how long that will be? Death is not something one can predict.
 

KUALA LUMPUR: The Indian Progressive Front (IPF) would not be dissolved as long as “I am alive,” said its president Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan. 

“Even to the last drop of my blood, I want to remain in IPF. We have gone through 20 years of hardship and struggle and I want the party to remain,” he said. 

In his address at the party’s 15th general assembly, Pandithan said that despite IPF’s new cooperation with MIC, the struggle to be admitted into Barisan Nasional would continue. 

For the first time in IPF’s history, one-time political foe MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was given the honour of addressing the 3,000 delegates yesterday. 

Acting Gerakan president Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel, and MIC vice-presidents Datuk S. Veerasingam and Tan Sri K.S. Nijhar were also present. 

Samy Vellu said that the question of IPF’s entry into Barisan was not discussed but MIC held fast to the belief that only one Indian-based party could represent the community in Barisan.  

The frail Pandithan, 67, who was once an ardent critic of Samy Vellu, yesterday heaped praise and welcome on the MIC president. 

“His (Samy Vellu’s) presence has brought a glow to IPF and this day will be long remembered as a momentous day in the chequered history of IPF,” he said. 

However, his recent rediscovered affection for Samy Vellu has not gone down well with many in his own party. An anti-Samy Vellu vernacular newspaper had gone to town recently slamming Pandithan for selling out IPF and predicting that it would be dissolved. 

Pandithan took issue with the newspaper yesterday, saying that IPF dissidents had used the paper to vent their frustration. 

“I said I would make an important announcement on the future of the party at today’s assembly but the newspaper gave space to members who claimed to have positions in IPF,” he said. 

Earlier in his speech, Samy Vellu said MIC and IPF could work together to resolve the problems faced by the community especially on housing, employment opportunities and business. He also pledged RM500,000 for the IPF building fund. 

Speaking to reporters later, Pandithan said he was grateful to Samy Vellu who had agreed to MIC working with IPF without setting any conditions.  

Comments Off on IPF won’t be dissolved as long as I’m alive »

Posted in Indian

Tags:

Friends forever ? Pandithan and Samy

July 2nd, 2007
|  Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email


Friends forever? Pandithan and Samy

By A. LETCHUMANAN

source

KUALA LUMPUR: Once good friends, they became bitter political rivals. Yesterday, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and IPF president Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan announced their undying relationship in front of 3,000 IPF delegates.

They hugged with tears in their eyes. The delegates burst into applause.

“Once we were friends, then we separated and now we have rejoined. This friendship is permanent and there is no departure. I will only depart at my death,” said Pandithan.

He said the MIC supremo was the “true leader of the Indian community” and bestowed the Wira Kaum India title on Samy Vellu at IPF's 15th general assembly.

Samy Vellu turned poetic when describing the respect Pandithan enjoyed among his followers.

Pandithan, who once regarded Samy Vellu as his mentor, was an MIC vice-president, Tapah MP and parliamentary secretary to the Trade and Industry Ministry in June 1988.

He was sacked after he started a fast-to-death effort in a bid to get charges of inciting violence and unrest within the party dropped. He also brought a coffin to the MIC headquarters in protest.

After expulsion from MIC on July 16, 1988, Pandithan tried to return to the party but was unsuccessful and in August 1990, he formed IPF.

His several attempts to join Barisan were thwarted by Samy Vellu and his scathing attacks on the MIC president failed to make headway.

However, when Pandithan fell ill and was hospitalised last year, Samy Vellu visited him and the two fell into an emotional reunion.
 

Comments Off on Friends forever ? Pandithan and Samy »

Posted in Indian

Tags: