Samy Vellu expected to stay on, wants to contest next election

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — A significant number of Malaysians reading this article were not even born when Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu became the president of MIC.
He took over in 1979 on the death of Tan Sri V. Manikavasagam and has stayed on since through many ups and downs, reinventing himself and the MIC several times along the way.

But he faces his greatest challenge now after Indians, mostly working-class Tamils, abandoned the MIC in large numbers during the March 8 general election and voted for the opposition.

The revolt was so extensive that many Indians even overcame their fear of Islam and voted for Pas.

With the political landscape so radically changed, Samy Vellu faces three major challenges now:

First, is how well he can win back a good number of the Indians back to the MIC and by extension to the Barisan Nasional.

Second is to reorganise the MIC into a truly mass-based grassroots organisation, as it was in 1970s and early 80s, and find a successor to hand over power at an "appropriate" time.

Third is Samy Vellu's desire to erase the humiliating defeat he suffered in Sungei Siput and exit the political stage as a winner so he will be remembered as a hero.
Samy Vellu is not sparing time, resources and money to meet and overcome all three challenges.

He has become intensely focused since March 8 on how to erase that defeat, re-brand the MIC and exit honourably, party insiders said.

If necessary, he has told his close confidants he wants to stand again in Sungei Siput and win to erase the humiliating defeat.

"If anything this is what Datuk Seri (Samy Vellu) really desires… to consolidate, win and hand over and walk out as a winner," a senior MIC leader close to Samy Vellu told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity.

"He has told his inner circle that if he achieves this he will die happy," the MIC leader said.

In comments made on Deepavali day, Samy Vellu revealed some of his inner thoughts when he said he had "fixed" the time to transfer power but still wants to contest as president in March 2009.

"I will also go. I have fixed the time already," he said, rejecting criticism he was hanging on compared to other BN component party leaders who are handing over to their successors after seeing the writing on the wall.

Next March about 3,600 MIC branches will elect a president and up to now there is no challenger in sight for Samy Vellu.

One reason why challenging Samy Vellu is futile is because a challenger needs at least 300 MIC branches to endorse his challenge to qualify to contest.

He has the added weight as an incumbent to use "carrot or stick" methods available to him to ensure he gets the nominations and challengers are denied the same nominations.

Another reason is that he has successfully duped long-time rival Datuk S. Subramaniam into believing that he stands a chance of inheriting the party if he plays along and does not whip up a storm among the party grassroots.

The only other possible challenger is his current No. 2 Datuk G. Palanivel who appears to have lost steam after his defeat in the March polls.

Samy Vellu privately accused Palanivel of stirring up some anti-Samy Vellu sentiments soon after the polls but the initial stirrings have not taken off and become a broad based movement to oust the veteran.

While the ground is ripe for a revolt against Samy Vellu, there is no leader brave enough to lead such a movement.

"The grassroots are crying for a rebel leader but none dare to wear that hat," said a MIC Selangor division leader.

Samy Vellu is also not waiting for a rebellion to develop.

Since the polls, he has been striding forward with his re-branding of the MIC by holding numerous forums and "re-thinking" sessions with party branch and divisional leaders.

The yields from the "re-branding" are uncertain but a lot of time and money is being invested in giving the MIC a new oomph!

By June 2009 Samy Vellu has to anoint, select and finally have "elected" a successor and the field is wide open with incumbent Palanivel expected to defend his post and with Subramaniam, vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan and outsider Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan making it a four-cornered fight.

Samy Vellu has repeatedly said he would not interfere but would accept as deputy anybody elected by the delegates, a promise few MIC delegates are willing to take at face value.

The talk is Samy Vellu is expected to back Sothinathan, largely because he had handled Samy Vellu's and the party's finances before being co-opted into the party hierarchy in the early 1990s as a counterweight to Palanivel.

"Sothi has inside knowledge… he is family," party insiders said. "The other possible successor is one way or other too sullied for associating with Samy Vellu's opponents."

At stake is also an estimated RM800 million in assets — cash, buildings, businesses, colleges and universities — that are variously owned by the MIC or held in trust, the party insiders said.

Unlike his BN colleagues, handing over of power for Samy Vellu is more complicated with the line between personal, family, party and public all criss-crossing and unclear and near impossible to unravel.

"Samy Vellu is looking for continuity, stability and a personal victory before exiting," MIC insiders said. "That means he would stay at least until 2013 before finally bowing out, if at all!

"Don't be surprised if he contests in the next general election," they said.

Baradan Kuppusamy
The Malaysian Insider
28/10/08

1 comment:

Diversity Dude said...

There is a difference between UMNO and Barisan Nasional. I want to make it clear that it is not the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, but the UMNO government. It is not the government, but UMNO. Barisan Nasional is a coalition of unequals, not equals. UMNO is the big brother in BN. Therefore UMNO must be held responsible; and more importantly, UMNO must not be allowed to hide behind the BN banner. UMNO is the enemy, not BN. UMNO is a racist party which has perfected the art of divide and rule. Using “carrot and stick” UMNO has obtained support. If moderate Malays, the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Chinese and Indians unite, then they can vote UMNO out of office.

For decades UMNO has strengthened her position by destroying the independence of the judiciary. So much so that high officials and the Police can almost act with impunity.


I have come to the conclusion that the easy solution is to completely defeat UMNO in the next elections. We have to vote racist UMNO out of office. UMNO is bent on divide and rule, which has affected Malaysia badly. It is for the next generation of Malaysians to undo the damage done to Malaysia by UMNO. There is a dire need for moderate Malays at the political level. There is also a need for the natives of Sabah and Sarawak to form a third force to protect their own interests. Imagine how UMNO had dealt with Sabah; from a rich state, Sabah has been reduced to a poor state subservient to UMNO. There has to be an explanation. The only way is UMNO has to be voted out of office. The younger generation of Malaysians do not like racist politics and UMNO must be taught a lesson by the younger generation by voting UMNO out of office. Please vote for any party but UMNO/BN.

To my Sabah and Sarawak brothers and sisters I tell you that historically UMNO has always avoided a Royal Commission of Inquiry as much as possible many times. Historically, UMNO has misused the Internal Security Act numerous times. Any political party that is an accomplice to UMNO is also the enemy. Any political party that is a co-conspirator to UMNO is also the enemy. To my Sabah and Sarawak brothers and sisters I say that you should form a third force. A third force would require unity among Sabahans and Sarawakians.

To my Sabah and Sarawak natives, I need you to understand some things. Who is a so called bumiputra? Just about any Muslim (from any nation) who can obtain Malaysian citizenship can claim bumiputra benefits. How about the natives of Sabah and Sarawak? When it is beneficial to the Malays, the Malays cleverly put the Malays, the Orang Asli, and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak together. The Orang Asli of Malaya are not even mentioned in the constitution. Who are the bona fide indigenous people of Malaya? There are some who feel that the Orang Asli of Malaya are the indigenous people of Malaya. It may be possible that the Malays have usurped the position of indigenous people of Malaya and cleverly excluded the Orang Asli in the constitution. If we allowed the Orang Asli or the natives of Sabah and Sarawak to draft the constitution of Malaysia, it would look very different. So, it all depends on who drafts the constitution.

We have to get into the habit of putting people in office through votes, and removing people from office through votes. Nobody should be allowed to topple the government. We have to institutionalize the multi-party political system, one person one vote, and an independent judiciary.



In the 2004 elections (11th General Election), the voters gave good support to Mr.Abdullah Badawi. But reforms did not come. Why? Probably because UMNO had done well in the elections. If UMNO had done well in the elections, then the election results tell UMNO that the voters are satisfied with the status quo. If the voters are satisfied with UMNO, then no reforms are necessary. In the 2008 elections (12th General Elections), UMNO did not do well, but she managed to win. UMNO did lose the 2/3 majority in the Parliament, but she did win, nevertheless. Will UMNO undertake reforms now? I would not be surprised if she did not. Why should she? UMNO is still the winner in the elections; and she can plan to rise and may even succeed to rise again. So, as long as she wins, she will never undertake the reforms. So, how do the voters get the reforms that they need? The voters will get the reforms when UMNO is completely defeated in the 13th General Elections. If UMNO wins zero seats in the next elections (13th General Elections), then some other party would have to rule Malaysia. Let us call it Party B. If UMNO is completely defeated in the next elections (13th General Elections), then Party B would rule Malaysia. Would Party B undertake reforms? If Party B does not undertake reforms, then voters would know what to do.

There is no doubt that UMNO has used gerrymandering to strengthen herself. If we removed gerrymandering from UMNO, then there would be a reduced UMNO. So the non-UMNO voters of Malaysia have good reasons to vote against UMNO.

It is possible that UMNO has used the Police Force to strengthen herself. The Police Force is required to be neutral. But is the Police Force neutral? I appeal to the Police Force to be neutral.

UMNO is a race based political party and also the big brother of BN. So, the complete defeat of UMNO in the next elections is the only way to get reforms. The complete defeat of UMNO in the next elections is the only way to get a new beginning.

UMNO is inclined to believe that Malaysians cannot do anything if they are in any way dissatisfied. The voters, however, have to send a strong message to UMNO that the voters can do something: the voters can vote.

So, the next step for Malaysians is to completely defeat UMNO/BN in the next elections.