Still a long road ahead for Palanivel

The job of rebuilding MIC is far from over, says a veteran observer.

PETALING JAYA: MIC president G Palanivel still has much work to do to establish himself as a credible leader for Malaysian Indians, according to a veteran observer of MIC politics, Denison Jayasooria.

He said Palanivel was not a tested politician and that pundits still linked his political life to that of his former boss, S Samy Vellu.

Denison is a former director of the Social Strategic Foundation, a think-tank that MIC established in 1997 to address the social problems of Malaysian Indians.

In an interview with FMT, he said Palanivel still had a long way to go to rebuild MIC after the losses it suffered in the 2008 general election.

“Palanivel was not elected to his presidency and he doesn’t hold a parliamentary seat. This definitely has an impact on his effort to rebuild the party. However, only time will tell whether he can get a better deal for the Indian community.”

However, he added, Palanivel was fortunate that Najib Tun Razak, unlike previous prime ministers, offered an inclusive political agenda and was equally determined to win the hearts of the Indian community.

“Najib’s decision to offer a second minister’s post to the Indian community is a way to reach out to the community. While some may find this insignificant, it shows Umno’s new approach towards the Indian community.”

He described Najib’s approach to the community as “direct and persistent” and said it seemed to be paying off.

But Denison does not expect Indians to give Barisan Nasional the same level of support they gave before 2008.

“BN could probably get 65% of the Indian support at the most. The majority of the Indian middle class and professionals still distrust BN.”

Lacking vision

Commenting on the increase in the number of Indian-based political parties, Denison said this was due to the inability of “certain dominant political parties” to be inclusive in their approach.

Most of the new parties are either pro-BN or pro-Pakatan Rakyat. The exception is the Human Rights Party, which wants to serve as a third force.

“Indians are very passionate people, with each one believing he could become a leader to champion a certain cause,” Denison said.

“But what is lacking is a vision to keep the community together, as each leader with a following is trying to push his views to the national leadership,” he said.

He said that there should be strong cooperation among the different parties to address issues affecting the Indian community.

He heaped praises on Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael D Jeyakumar of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) for going beyond racial and religious bounds in his political approach.

“He is a politician who takes a class-based approach in his struggle rather than the usual race and religion rhetoric we hear,” he said.

“In a forum recently, Jeyakumar presented his case on how political work could be done without money and power, but by mass mobilisation of people.”

Work with NGOs

Denison advised MIC to try to win the hearts of the middle class and the professionals in order to ensure its continuity.

For starters, he said, MIC should explain to Indians how the government’s Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) and its New Economic Model (NEM) would benefit the community.

“And MIC should also work with the NGOs on this.”

He commended Palanivel and his deputy, Dr S Subramaniam, for breaking BN ranks last June when they called for the release of PSM activists detained under the Emergency Ordinance.

“While Najib’s image may be battered by the detention, it was commendable for Palanivel and his deputy to have called for their release.”

He also praised MIC’s handling of the Interlok issue, saying it enhanced the party’s image as a “consistent political voice” for Malaysian Indians.