Khir Toyo enters MIC fray, attacks Samy Vellu
By Baradan Kuppusamy, The Malaysian Insider
Former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo has waded into the battle raging in the MIC between the Samy Vellu-Subramaniam factions by accusing the MIC president of giving the green light to demolish the Padang Jawa Sri Maha Mariammam temple that had sparked widespread anger and led to the 2007 Hindraf protests.
In an exclusive interview with the Makkal Osai Tamil daily that is the mouthpiece of former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam, Khir, now opposition leader in Selangor, said Samy Vellu telephoned him “one night about 11pm” during the crisis and told him to pull down the temple.
“He (Samy Vellu) said Hindraf people were gathering at the temple and turning it into a protest,” Khir told the newspaper. “He said to pull down the temple to stop them and not to give them room.
“Because the leader of the community is asking, I instructed the state secretary to give the necessary instruction,” Khir said in the interview.
The demolition took place a few days before Deepavali in 2007 and angered the Indian community.
The razing of the temple is a key reason why Indian voters rebelled and voted the opposition in the March 8, 2008 tsunami that brought the Pakatan Rakyat into power in five states.
The MIC was accused of doing nothing to stop this and other demolitions, and paid a heavy price in the polls, losing most of the seats it contested, including in Sungei Siput where Samy Vellu was defeated.
The Padang Jawa demolition was the climax of several years of unremitting temple demolition by local authorities in Perak, Johor, Negri Sembilan and Selangor, all on the grounds that these temples were illegal structures.
Khir also said he will “take action” if Vel Paari, the son of Samy Vellu, continues to claim or write that it was Khir who had demolished the temple.
“I did not do it… it was Samy Vellu who wanted it,” Khir Toyo told the newspaper.
