Local Indians protest Umno's 'high-handedness'

TERMERLOH: Indian voters in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency frustrated with Umno’s overbearing attitude to “control and contain” MIC, will stage a protest vote today.

Pahang PAS Supporters Club chairman N Balasubramanian said Umno’s high-handedness that caused it to lose its credibility among the rankyat.

“The Indian community cannot accept Umno-BN high-handed style and the manner they dropped the MIC deputy president (G Palanivel), a loyal component party in BN.

“I think MIC has a serious problem because Umno Selangor is calling the shots.

“They have forced an Umno-sponsored candidate unto MIC.

“He (P Kamalanathan) is not an MIC candidate. Umno rejected MIC’s candidate (Palanivel).

“We believe the Indian community here and everywhere are angry, very angry with Umno-BN, “ he said.

Balasubramaniam was alluding to the unprecedented controversy surrounding the BN candidate - for the Hulu Selangor constituency.

On April 15 after a prolonged and ugly tussle with MIC, Umno Selangor, allegedly arm-twisted MIC into accept a compromise candidate – Kamalanathan, MIC’s information chief – for the Hulu Selangor by-election, nominations for which is today.

Following the announcement of the MIC/BN candidate, Prime Minister Najib Razak issued MIC an ultimatum demanding that they deliver. It is common knowledge that Najib has side-stepped MIC on more than one occasion in directly-accessing the Indian community.

The swiftly changing landscape has thrown both MIC and its leaders into the wilderness.

“Win or lose, MIC, Umno and BN have lost their credibility.. this is only the beginning of a major crash,” said Balasubramaniam.

The by-election for the 64,500 strong voting population is on April 25. Nineteen percent of the registered voters are Indians,a crucial support for BN which has already lost its credibility among the Chinese voters.

PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim is expected to give Umno-BN a tight race for the Malay votes. Zaid has been actively wooing fridge communities – Felda and the Orang Asli – whose votes are essential in this contentious race.

If all goes well today, it will be a straight BN-PKR fight on April 25.

Balasubramaniam added that the current situation, however was good for Pakatan’s Zaid.

“The only thing now standing in Pakatan’s road to victory is Umno-BN’s money politics, “ he said.

Free Malaysia Today
17/04/10