MIC boss: Don’t repeat the 2008 mistake

G Palanivel believes that the government should complete its five-year term and hold the general election in 2013.

PETALING JAYA: As the ruling coalition licked its wounds in the aftermath of the 2008 electoral bruising, reports surfaced of how certain intelligence units had advised the then prime minister against calling for a general election at that point of time.

But Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who secured the biggest ever mandate for Barisan Nasional just four years earlier, had failed to read the pulse of the voters.

When the results rolled in, the coalition was paralysed with shock.

Four years on, there is a new prime minister at the helm and the voting pattern in a series of by-elections, coupled with the problems in the opposition, appear to favour him and speculation of a snap polls is rife.

However, MIC president G Palanivel warned against making the same mistake.

In an exclusive interview with FMT, he said that the government should rule until its present five-year term expired in 2013.

“We need time to create an impact, we need time to deliver, we need time to see the impact of the 10th Malaysia Plan and we need time for the Budget.

“So we have to go for a full term, we should not make the mistake we made in 2008, dissolving Parliament all of a sudden; we would be in trouble if we do that,” he added.

He also pointed out that should Parliament be dissolved, there was a possibility that the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled state governments might decide against dissolving their respective state legislative assemblies.

“They will say ‘never mind, we will dissolve it in 2013′. Then we had it, there will be a major fight. So the most important thing is, we must go for a full term,” he said.

Commenting on Indian votes, the MIC president stressed that while the community’s support for BN had increased, it would, however, not be as glorious as in the past.

“Possibly 60% or 70% (Indian votes in favour of BN in the next polls). Forget 75% and 80%. But Indian votes are now crucial and precious. Once, we were told that we are a minority but not anymore,” he said, quipping that even MCA was now voicing out for the Indians.

Need for empowerment

During the 40-minute interview, Palanivel also repeatedly stressed that the Indian community had been marginalised and therefore must be empowered.

However, he said that the government under Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was willing to change the situation.

But when asked why MIC chose to remain in BN when the community it represented had been marginalised for more than 50 years, Palanivel promptly replied: “We are not talking about the past.”

“I am looking at the future. We cannot be with the opposition either. They are also not taking care of the Indians; giving tidbits here and there is not going to help the Indians. This country is a country of endless resources… and Indian labour put this country on the world map,” he added.

According to Palanivel, about 30% of the Indian community had been marginalised and this had led to an increase in violence.

“The important thing is to empower the community. We are not begging, we want empowerment. The government under the new prime minister is empowering us… a lot of problems must be sorted so that this community can become mainstream. No community should remain sub-stream,” he said.

Speaking about affirmative actions, the MIC president said that such initiatives were pointless if they failed to reach the target groups.

Responding to a question, Palanivel agreed that affirmative actions should be needs-based as opposed to being race-based.

“But there is nothing wrong if it’s race-based because Indians are also in the poor category. But we must model the programmes for the particular races to deliver them out of poverty,” he said.

The MIC president also stated how Najib had agreed to some of the pertinent issues he had raised with regard to uplifting the socio-economic standard of the Indian community.

“One of them is that Indian civil servants have been by-passed for promotions and that they must be promoted on an urgent basis. The PM said he will address this problem.

“The second thing I raised is that we are economically left out, our small shopkeepers are not doing well and many of them are blacklisted by financial institutions.

“So I suggested that we set up a cooperative. In record time, a cooperative was set up. I put many independent people in it. The government has given RM8 million to rescue those on the blacklist… we give a facelift to businesses and empower them,” he said.

“I also requested for a matriculation programme; not every Indian child gets to go for a government matriculation course. I asked for an additional 1,000 places and he (Najib) agreed. The private sector like Binary University and others are conducting it, and the government will fund it,” he added.

Participation in GLCS

Palanivel said that he was also working on increasing Indian participation and employment in government-linked companies or GLCs.

“We have identified the top 20 GLCs. But to identify the right people to sit in these GLCS is a challenge. That’s why I am still holding back and everyday I am looking (for candidates). We need suitable people so that they can function.

“MCA has a good relationship with the Chinese business sector, but MIC’s relationship with the Indian business sector is at a low level. So our job is to bring the business sector into the GLCs and other organisations,” he added.

Apart from this, Palanivel said that a special purpose vehicle was also formed in record time.

“It will be run independently. We want to ask the government for a soft loan so that we don’t start a new business but we acquire existing businesses,” he added.

Palanivel also agreed that while Najib continued to push the right buttons, the negative perception towards Umno had not changed.

“We won’t know what is happening down the line (in Umno)… like some division leaders given allocations are not giving it to the Indians. This is at the bottom (level). At the top, at the government and Cabinet levels, everybody listens, the PM listens, the DPM listens, the home minister listens…

“The PM is doing a good job. Umno itself is dependent on Indian votes, so they are nice to us,” he said.

Asked if Najib’s reforms would only be significant if Umno, the backbone of the ruling coalition, altered its ways as well, Palanivel replied: “The government is reforming and when this happens, Umno will reform.”

“We don’t worry about the past, let’s look at the present and future. Let’s not look at past policies, but rather future policies. Past policies will eventually fade out,” he added.

Below are excerpts from the interview:

The prime minister has been criticised for not taking stern action against certain groups and individuals who go on a racial offensive such as Perkasa and Ibrahim Ali.

Ibrahim Ali is just an individual.

But should the PM be more stern?

In a democracy, everyone has a right to shout

But the same luxury was not extended to Hindraf.

Hindraf did a good job. Because of them, we have an Indian deputy chief minister, an Indian speaker, we have so many Indians in the opposition. So if we do a good job, we will also gain back whatever we lost.

But the question is – the kind of space given to the likes of Ibrahim Ali was not given to Hindraf, their leaders were arrested under ISA.

You must look at all this in a different way. I don’t treat the kind of issues that Ibrahim Ali raises seriously because I have a bigger job ahead of me. He has always been like that.

The fact that Perkasa has a negative impact on BN cannot be denied.

Perkasa cannot have a negative impact on Indians, they are a solid community. They will do the right thing at the right time.

As a BN leader, do you think the government should act more sternly against such individuals.

The thing is, I support one thing. In a democracy, everyone should be given a voice to shout. If they had given this space to Hindraf, it would be a good thing. In a democracy, there must be space…

But the authorities seem to be selective in giving space; police reports are lodged against others, some are hauled up for sedition…

The government will be careful in handling issues. That is why they are reluctant to do certain things. The important thing is, I am a party leader, a community leader. If anybody hits out at the Indians, I will hit back. I am looking at more serious issues facing our community, because an empowered community can make noise, a dis-empowered community cannot make noise.

Do race-based parties like MIC still have a role to play in an evolving political landscape which is gravitating towards multiracial politics.

We represent the Indian community, but we are part of a multiracial system. So both will go hand-in-hand. This party will not lose its identity, we will remain here for centuries.

For centuries?

Yes. How can we become like any other party. We represent a community, we have our own language, culture and religion.

Is MIC evolving with the changing times?

MIC is changing. You can see that I listen. When I go for meetings, I don’t talk much but I listen. I make a short speech and listen… I have given space for people to talk. I want to know what people have in their hearts and minds.

What are the challenges you are facing after inheriting a party from someone who controlled it for three decades.

Don’t worry about the past. I now have a working party, my people are working. Each person is given a job to do and he does it. We are going to turn this party into a party of workers, not a party of supporters. Everybody is working hard, I am pushing them… we want to understand our own community, listen to their frustrations and heal them.

Can you elaborate on your ministerial portfolio.

I am in charge of several things such as Mampu (Malaysian Administrative and Management Planning Unit); it is one of the most resourceful organisations in the government. I am in charge of Intan (National Institute of Training), I am in charge of the Public Complaints Bureau, they receive about 14,000 to 15,000 complaints annually. I am also in charge of special functions. I will be in charge of the economic development of Indians, carrying them forward. I am also in charge of Hindu temples, Tamil schools and all Indian issues.

Whenever I ask for allocations to empower the Indian community, I’ll get it. What I need is resourceful people to sit with me, powerful think-tanks, doers and workers. I don’t want opportunists, or those who are after positions and titles. I want those who can serve and work for the community. I think the party is now moving in the right direction. I can see the Indian community’s appreciation for the new leadership (in MIC), there is a certain level… I wouldn’t say it’s a high percentage, every decision I make, it (the support) increases half percent, one percent, three percent. I am a bit more open.

Are you satisfied with what the government has given thus far for the community?

These are the preliminary things coming in. I am looking at the big picture. I am looking at something like… the government coming with a RM5 billion project for us. As I told you, we are a marginalised community. We need a big budget to uplift the community. We (MIC) won’t use the money, we want the systems to use it. What is RM5 billion for the government?