Decimation or annihilation, it still spells an ignominious end for the MIC

Several parties will effectively cease to exist after the next General Election. Gerakan is an obvious one where their leader, Koh Tsu Koon, defeatistly advised party members not to fight over seats as they wouldn’t win anyway. The MCA will find itself in the position Gerakan is in today; wiped out.

The PPP has already ceased to exist as a political entity of any influence, though they don’t seem to have got it. It is comic tragedy to watch Kayveas going around with his begging bowl, trying his best to pretend that he matters. As for the MIC, they will be decimated in the next General Election.

The damage wrought by Samy

Much of the MIC’s woes can be blamed on their self-centred former leader, Samy Vellu. While he lacked the leadership skills or intellect to do any good for his people; he managed to survive for 30 years by administering a Stalinist type of rule within his party. Any possible challenger to his position would be destroyed. Naturally, the party became filled with syncophants and toadies concerned only with pleasing their leader and enriching themselves.

Samy Vellu gained lasting notoriety when it was uncovered in 1992 that of 10 million Telekom shares allocated for the Indian community, nine million were handed over to 3 unknown companies, two of which had a paid-up capital of RM2.00. And the two RM2 companies were located at the same address and had S.Sothinathan as a director.

Sothinathan, at the time, was Samy Vellu’s boy Friday and by some accounts, still is. A possible profit of close to RM100 million was lost to the Indian community. Where the money went nobody appears to know. The MACC of course, investigated, and found ‘nothing wrong’.

Samy Vellu still goes around as an ‘envoy’ with Ministerial rank, paid for by the taxpayer, when most Indians would like nothing better than to see him gaoled. It was a deal that Najib was forced to make with him, simply so that he would go away quietly.

Betrayed, robbed, beggared and marginalized

What is left of the MIC is a collection of factions consisting of self-interested individuals trying to get on to the gravy-train. The ride, however, is over, and there will soon be no more gravy.

The MIC is also saddled with a weak and lackluster leader in Palanivel who appears to have spent most of his career as Samy Vellu’s secretary, condoning, overtly or not, his excesses. Those holding high-level positions in the MIC today are made up not of leaders with their own mass bases, but of intriguers who are in their positions by virtue of party politicking, or because their President finds them non-threatening. This is in stark contrast to the opposition.

The Indian vote itself is no longer the kingmaker, in which unexpected role it found itself in 2008. The Chinese vote has swung, and sharply, to the opposition. As has the Malay vote. BN’s tried and tested strategy of divide the races and rule; has gone the way of the dodo.

In the next election, the MIC will lose most of their remaining seats. Certainly Hulu Selangor, Tapah and Segamat will fall to the opposition. They will be lucky to hang on to Cameron Highlands.

And the Indians will see the last of a party that they had thought would champion them; but which instead betrayed, robbed, beggared and marginalized them for 50 dreadful years.

Malaysia Chronicle