Malaysian Politics 101: Samy Vellu And MIC, Above Shadow of Doubt!

It looks a case of Samy Vellu = MIC or rather MIC = Samy Vellu, forever and ever…

(Read my lips – I will resign if my No 2 man is ready. Image source: www.themalaysianreserve.com)

Not a big fan of the ‘self claiming representatives’ of the Indian community (a mirage that was scattered by the Hindraf rallies) but recent developments in calling the MIC supremo to stand down has been nothing but comical.

In recent months, if you have noticed, there has been a steady stream of attack against Samy Vellu – from the huge protest in last Maika shareholders’ meeting, the recent posts by Raja Petra on Samy Vellu, the recent disclosure of ‘what really happened’ with Maika shares, how Samy Vellu became the President due to missing votes and of course Dr M’s attacks on Samy Vellu.

What Dr M said about his ex-member in the cabinet was understandable but still a classic:-

‘In other countries, when a leader fails, he resigns voluntarily. In Japan, he commits harakiri (suicide). We are not asking him (Samy Vellu) to commit harakiri’.

(Source: Malaysiakini)

No one could be more direct than Dr M but some people still don’t get the message, don’t they? Of course, that triggered the call for ‘shoe garland’ for Dr M but only after an overwhelming condemnation, Samy Vellu decided to act – the person who called for ‘shoe garland’ was swiftly disciplined and cornered Samy Vellu decided to throw in a challenge:-

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said he was prepared to hand over the leadership of the party “tomorrow” if his deputy Datuk G. Palanivel was ready to take over.

(Source: TheStar)

Samy Vellu preparing to leave the party was not something new – he has said many times and every time that happens, he is still in the helm of the party (I recall him saying the same thing – if the party members do not want him, he will leave).

The likelihood of Samy leaving with the issue of Maika shares still fresh on many frustrated Indians is very small. Remember Samy keep saying that he has some ‘unfinished business’ in MIC and therefore still hanging on to the post? The question is what is this unfinished business? Is it getting the Indians back on the prosperity or fortifying himself or getting things in order from future sanctions? If there is ‘unfinished business’, why can’t someone else take over and completes it?

Well, that is what I think too – otherwise, he would have left if not when UMNO’s Dr M or MCA’s Lim Liong Sik left, at least when MIC got whacked in the last general election  – get the party revamped by someone new.

But no, he remained where he is and there is no sight of any change of guards at MIC at least for the next few years.  There were some talks of ‘rebranding’ but unsurprisingly it affected everyone else but him.

Then there was even pressure from the PM to get Samy Vellu to leave his seat and get someone else to take over. After all, both UMNO and MCA have changed their presidents since the departure of Dr M, didn’t they?

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he would meet MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu for the second time this year to discuss the party’s succession plan.

(Source: TheStar)

But the thing is – nobody believed Samy Vellu when he said he is prepared to leave and true to the predictions, Palanivel decided not to take Samy Vellu’s challenge and decided to remain a loyal, quiet second man:-

MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel has thrown the ball back to party chief Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu on when the long-serving MIC president will vacate the post.

(Source: TheStar)

Palanivel’s action to throw back the decision to vacate the president’s seat back to Samy was anticipated from day 1. After all, he is the president’s main support man and next in line – surely he will not wish to ‘rock the boat’. So, while the battle for the pilot’s seat at MIC is still on-going (in the open and covertly), Najib has started to open another channel to reach out to the Indian community:-

The Prime Minister has accepted the invitation to launch the newly-formed Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party on Oct 10. The party, which was officially registered early this year, is a splinter group of the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) which organised anti-government rallies in November 2007.

(Source: TheStar)

Does this mean another nail has been struck on the coffin on Samy’s attempts to still clinging on the president’s seat in MIC? Whatever it is, it remains comical to see a desperate man clinging on the post whilst fighting off the call to step down with promises to step down in the near future.