MIC will respond to criticism: Samy Vellu

THE Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) will adopt a new approach in handling criticism that it is not doing enough for Indians in the country.

Party president S. Samy Vellu said that the MIC will no longer keep quiet but will respond to the criticism with clear explanations on what the party had done to resolve problems.

'If people make wild accusations or spread false news about us, we will fight back. In the past two months we just kept quiet, and some saw this as a weakness on our part and went to town mocking us,' he told reporters after meeting Penang MIC leaders yesterday.

In the past, MIC leaders had gone about their work without trying to attract publicity, but the time had come for a change in strategy.

'They (detractors) often say no progress has been made by the Indian community in the country over the last 50 years, but the fact is, in that time Indians achieved… progress,' he said. The MIC was working hard to reduce the economic gap for the 1.8 million Indian Malaysians, he added.

Malaysia has been rattled by a large street demonstration on Nov 25 in Kuala Lumpur by Indians voicing their grievances against the government.

The MIC, as the main party representing Indian Malaysians, has faced criticism from opposition political activists that it had not done enough for the community.

The MIC planned to drop some elected representatives who were suffering from 'fatigue', Datuk Seri Samy said. The MIC has seven MPs, including Datuk Seri Samy, and 19 assemblymen in 11 state assemblies in peninsular Malaysia.

BERNAMA