MIC’s show of strength a bit too late?

MIC's Ponggal festival on Saturday attracted a large crowd but is it really a reflection of Indian support towards the party?

KUALA LUMPUR: Last Saturday, the MIC organised a “Unity Ponggal” festival attended by more than 80,000 Indians at Dataran Merdeka.

The event was officiated by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who was clearly elated with the turnout. He promised that he was and would be steadfast in efforts to increase the Malaysian Indian equity to 3% of the nation’s economic pie.

He also pledged that the government was committed in turning all the 523 Tamil schools in the country to fully-aided schools.

In any other circumstances, these two promises would have been met with applause. But these are changed times. The people, especially Indians, are demanding more. They have moved away from Tamil schools, estate problems, small and medium-sized industry loans and such.

The MIC, being the largest Indian-based political party in the country, however, is still stuck with these issues.

The party is not moving on par with the community’s wishes.

Soon after the 2008 general election drubbing, the party underwent a leadership change with S Samy Vellu handing over the reins to G Palanivel.

In the all important election the party only won three out of the nine seats it contested. Samy Vellu and Palanivel lost their seats in Sungai Siput and Hulu Selangor respectively.

There was a huge outcry for Samy Vellu to vacate the party top post. Political pundits were then saying that if Samy Vellu did not quit, it would be doom for MIC. Pressure was on the veteran politician to move aside and hand over the party to Palanivel.

Samy Vellu did resign. Palanivel was ushered in on a red carpet. Many had expected a new era for the party. They thought the time to rejuvenate the party would begin in earnest, after the over 30-year iron-clad rule of Samy Vellu.

In came Palanivel with so much promise and hope. But this did not last long.

Palanivel was unable to connect with the grassroots.

Samy Vellu was better

Unlike MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek, Palanivel was unable to defend the party against opposition fire.

His publicity-shy style of leadership was viewed as weak, mundane and lethargic so much so that the same political pundits who predicted the party’s doom if Samy Vellu stayed on started singing a different song.

They now feel that Samy Vellu was definitely a better leader to lead the party in all aspects.

With the general election to be held within the next 90 days, the party is ringing its alarm bells. The party’s priority was picking candidates for the nine parliamentary and 19 state assembly seats.

Led by Palanivel, the lethargic-looking MIC was rarely focused on winning the hearts and minds of Indian voters, who were cajoled instead by Najib.

“MIC left Najib to handle Indian voters. The Ponggal celebration was the biggest event organised by the party since Palanivel took over. And that too was organised by party vice-president S Saravanan… he took the cake in arranging the event and not Palanivel,” said a party insider, who declined to be named.

Now many questioned the motive behind the Ponggal festival. Was it to show that Indians were back with the ruling Barisan Nasional? Or was it MIC’s way to convince Najib that Indians were solidly behind the party?

Observers feel the show of strength by the party during the Ponggal festival would give the party more clout in demanding for seats and allow it to pit its chosen candidates for the general election.

Najib would have little say on the matter, at least this is what the MIC thinks.

Party ‘disorientated’

But not everything is smooth in the party. A larger battle is brewing ahead of the party elections slatted for mid-year. The war lords want a more active and vibrant party.

They are willing to see a new president who would make them proud of being a MIC member.

Party leaders are sharpening their swords before the party battle. Some just want to secure seats to contest the general election while others have already begun lobbying for the party elections.

The party is itself “disoriented”. The gathering on Saturday evening at the historic Dataran Merdeka gave party members something to cheer about. It gave them a sense of belonging, which was missing over the last three years.

The gathering also showed that there was light at the end of the tunnel in the MIC.

But will this be enough for party candidates to win seats at the upcoming general election?

Has MIC really obtained the backing of Indian voters, who turned their backs on the BN at the last election, or is it too late for the party?