Dr Mahathir: The Indians want you to go, Samy
MIC is finished if Samy refuses to go
(Malaysian Mirror) – The Indian community is fed up with S SamyVellu and wants him to step down as MIC president, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Before the 2008 general election a TV station had asked me what is going to happen to MIC.
“I said for as long as Samy Vellu is there, the MIC will lose.
“It is correct and he lost," Dr Mahathir told reporters after presenting Aidilfitri aid and the Perkim President Seri Cemerlang Award at a buka puasa function here on Friday night.
The MIC will continue to lose the support of the Indian community if. Samy Vellu continues to lead the party, he added.
Bad blood between two loyalists
There had been bad blood lately between the two men, who were staunch allies and loyalists in the glory days of the Barisan Nasional before it lost its two-third majority in Parliament at the last general election in March 2008.
The MIC, like other Barisan components, suffered heavy losses that were associated with the mass uprising staged by the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) in November 2007.
Samy Vellu was Works Minister in the Cabinet of Abdullah Ahmad Badwi when he lost his Sungai Siput parliamentary seat to newcomer Dr D Michael Jeyakumar in that election.
In the June 2006 MIC election, Samy Vellu openly supported his trusted lieutenant, former press secretary, G Palanivel, who stood against incumbent S Subramaniam.
Palanivel emerged as the victor, and the new deputy president in 27 years.
Subramaniam, however, is back in the fray to wrest the post he lost to Palanivel. This will be decided at the at the two-day MIC general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre here which begins Saturday.
Samy unhappy with Dr M's remarks
Samy Vellu recently chided Dr Mahathir for allegedly meddling in MIC affairs, following a report in Tamil paper Makkal Osai that the former prime minister purportedly endorsed Subramaniam’s candidacy.
Samy Vellu said Dr Mahathir’s remarks that Subramaniam could lead the MIC had came at about the time that MIC would be holding its general assembly (which Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will open at the PWTC).
"When he (Makkal Osai reporter) asked for my opinion, I did not realise the party's elections is around the corner,” said Dr Mahathir.
“I gave my opinion, if he (Samy) stays on, MIC cannot be revived. Now the Indian community is divided into eight parties,” he added.
'He finishes them offf'
"Previously, all of them supported MIC. Not many are supporting the MIC now and they gave the same reason. They are fed up of Samy Vellu, who wants to hold the reins until nobody else can take over from him.
“Whoever becomes his deputy, when they are getting popular, he finishes them of," he said.
On Samy Vellu's allegation that he (Dr Mahathir) had neglected the Indian community, the former prime minister said it was not true as he had helped all communities and not only the Malays.
"A newspaper had quoted him (Samy Vellu) as saying that I had never helped the Indian community. When I called him from Syria then, he denied it.
"When I came back, the newspaper played the tape for me. It was true he did say that I had never helped the Indian community," Dr Mahathir added.
