{"id":1783,"date":"2008-04-28T00:36:44","date_gmt":"2008-04-27T16:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/indian\/2008\/04\/28\/samy-interview-part-2-i-was-never-against-hindraf\/"},"modified":"2008-04-28T13:51:07","modified_gmt":"2008-04-28T05:51:07","slug":"samy-interview-part-2-i-was-never-against-hindraf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/indian\/2008\/04\/28\/samy-interview-part-2-i-was-never-against-hindraf\/","title":{"rendered":"Samy Interview Part 2, I was never against HINDRAF"},"content":{"rendered":"

In part one<\/a>, Samy says he knew that the election results will be bad. In part 2 below, he talks about the blaming the “backroom boys”, disappointment for losing Work Ministry portfolio, lack of youth members in MIC, HINDRAF, MAIKA issue, and Subramaniam issue. <\/p>\n

Q&A: ‘Backroom boys’ to blame<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/malaysiakini.com\/news\/81429
\nRK Anand | Apr 16, 08 12:13pm<\/p>\n

MIC president S Samy Vellu feels ‘dejected’ that MIC has been given the Human Resources Ministry instead of the Works Ministry.<\/p>\n

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini at the MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, the veteran politician said this was the work of the ‘backroom boys.’<\/p>\n

The veteran politician also shares his views on other issues concerning the party and its future.<\/p>\n

Are you confident that MIC can be rebuilt and what are your plans to achieve this?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes (I am confident). I have several plans to re-brand MIC. I want to give MIC a new look. A look which is exemplary, a look that will attract people, a look that will be friendly and also a look that always cares, and that is MIC cares.<\/em><\/p>\n

What we are actually doing is, we are going through all the branches. We have investigated and found that the youth membership (in branches) is very much lower than the other members<\/span><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On the other hand, many of the youths who worked for the opposition during the elections, when I meet them, the general statement they make is ‘Oh, your branch leader won’t allow me to become a member.’ So I think there is a misunderstanding, they feel that the youths are not wanted in MIC<\/span><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

I had a meeting very lately with a group of people in Perak. These are people who were against us in the elections but they were very happy to see us again. My discussion went on for about three hours.<\/em><\/p>\n

During this, we found that they all want to return to the party as youths and they want to be leaders of the future, which I also like because I want this party to be taken over by the youngsters because only through them we can have new avenues to serve the needs of the Indians.<\/em><\/p>\n

Critics say that MIC leaders have become increasingly arrogant over the years and grown distant from the ground.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. We, MIC leaders, were so friendly with the people at that time. That is why in a year, you would see 25,000 to 30,000<\/span><\/strong> people coming to the MIC headquarters. Wherever we go, we will be surrounded by people because we are easily approachable and people will come and say, ‘This is my problem, can you attend to it’.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here (at the MIC headquarters) you can see that people keep coming. They feel ‘this is my place’. Something like an old mother coming to the son’s house and a young son coming to the mother’s house. This is how people feel.<\/em><\/p>\n

Are you disappointed that MIC was not given the Works Ministry in the new cabinet line-up?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I feel very dejected. Although I know it is the prerogative of the prime minister. Previous prime ministers, even (current prime minister) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has always thought about party seniority … for the ministry.<\/em><\/p>\n

You see, when (former premier) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) shifted me in 1985 to the Ministry of Energy and Telecommunications, then he wanted to move me back to my (works) ministry, he said, ‘Samy, I cannot move you anywhere else because I have to put you into a senior ministry.’<\/em><\/p>\n

So why did this happen now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it is the work of the ‘backroom boys’ … I know, I am definitely sure, it is these ‘backroom boys’ at work<\/span><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

And who are these ‘backroom boys’ that you are referring to?<\/strong>
\nI don’t want to say.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

With you remaining as president until 2012, and with (former deputy president) S Subramaniam back in the fold and with (current deputy president) G Palanivel still in the picture. What will happen as far as the contest for the number two post is concerned in the (2009) party polls?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a fundamental misunderstanding. They say I brought back Subra. There is nothing to bring back Subra, he is already in the party. He lost in the (2006 party elections) but he was quiet in the party. We had a lot of misunderstandings because at that time, I supported Palanivel very strongly, openly. I campaigned for him throughout the country.<\/em><\/p>\n

He did not ask me to campaign. But I went and worked … at every state, I called for meetings and told people why we need a change in the deputy president and he (Palanivel) won the elections.<\/em><\/p>\n

After he won the elections, a lot of people said that it is because of them that he won, but I didn’t want to say anything.<\/em><\/p>\n

After that, there was a lot of attack on me by the press, particularly one Tamil press which is also close to Subramaniam. After the (March 8) elections, he (Subramaniam) also felt that we are all in a disarray and it would be better to work together. He talked to me and I said, ‘Okay we’ll meet.’<\/em><\/p>\n

We met and discussed, I said, ‘We’ll work together’. That is the only understanding we came to … to work together. I think it is more peaceful now and it is better. We have made up to strengthen the party.<\/em><\/p>\n

So will you once again openly support Palanivel in the coming party elections?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. I think in future I will remain neutral.<\/em><\/p>\n

Will this be your stand for all positions such as vice-presidency and so forth?<\/strong><\/p>\n

That I have to think later.<\/em><\/p>\n

How does MIC plan to resolve the Maika Holdings issue?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Maika Holdings as they promised, they were already reaching the stage to sell the insurance company (Oriental Capital Assurance Bhd) and pay back the shareholders. So Nesa (a cooperative helmed by Subramaniam) took an injunction to stop it.<\/em><\/p>\n

And now, after our discussion with Subramaniam, he is working together with us to settle the injunction as well as to see that the insurance company is sold as quick as possible so that we can settle the money (to the shareholders) and get away from the curse that we have in the company<\/strong><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), why did you suddenly change your stand on this issue?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was never against Hindraf at any time<\/span><\/strong>. Originally, they portrayed themselves as working for the community, I said, ‘Okay, anybody can work for the community, it is better for the community’. They were trying to gain support using the community and finally, they handed over the community to the opposition … (PKR de facto leader) Anwar Ibrahim. He (Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy) clearly said vote for that three parties (PKR, PAS and DAP). He should have remained neutral<\/span><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

But in any case, it is not Waythamoorthy’s order which (motivated) the people to vote<\/span><\/strong>. People voted for their stomach and for their pocket<\/span><\/strong>. Because they need to earn, they need to have better lives. I don’t think Hindraf could do anything for the betterment of the community, they are not a political party, they are a social organisation<\/span><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

But they can all the time create trouble, but I think there will be a time when this will also come to an end because the youngsters are now trying to realise ‘why did we do this?’ ‘what did we gain?’ ‘who benefits out of this?<\/span><\/strong>‘<\/em><\/p>\n

As for calling for the five Hindraf leaders to be released from detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA)?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was thinking they should be released simply for the reason let them go and join their families.<\/em><\/p>\n

So there was nothing political about your call?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, I don’t have to gain any politics out of them. I have my own politics already.<\/em><\/p>\n

What about the grouses that were raised by Hindraf. Were these legitimate grouses?<\/strong><\/p>\n

See, when you raise grouses, you must raise it with substantial evidence<\/span><\/strong> and all that. But these people didn’t say anything, they raised the grouses in a sheet of paper ‘Indian community this’, ‘Indian community this’, ‘You get this done’ and ‘You get this done’. That is not the way. When you submit something, you must submit with evidence.<\/em><\/p>\n

If that was the case then why did the movement gain so much momentum?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The momentum is because the young people were told (by Hindraf) that ‘we are going to do a lot of things<\/span><\/strong>‘. And the elderly people were drawn into a sort of understanding to say that if they sign up (for the struggle), they (Hindraf) are going to fight a case against the British government<\/span><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The total momentum that they gained was because of that U<\/span>S$1 million (compensation) for each Indian<\/span><\/strong>. If tomorrow I announce that if anybody comes and joins me, I give him 100,000 dollars, you can see there will be no more place to stand here. I have to print the notes myself.<\/em><\/p>\n

But the dissatisfaction was across the board, covering all levels of the Indian community?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The dissatisfaction is there<\/span><\/strong>. It was across the board. And the people thought ‘we cannot convince the Barisan Nasional government to do anything for us’. They thought that the Barisan Nasional government does not care for MIC no matter how much noise we make. So ‘let us give the vote to somebody (else) and let them make the noise<\/span><\/strong>‘. This is what happened.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In part one, Samy says he knew that the election results will be bad. In part 2 below, he talks about the blaming the “backroom boys”, disappointment for losing Work Ministry portfolio, lack of youth members in MIC, HINDRAF, MAIKA issue, and Subramaniam issue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[21,24,225],"class_list":["post-1783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-indian","tag-hindraf","tag-mic","tag-politicians"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poobalan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}