Get out of the rut or perish, MIC

A division leader calls on the party leadership to embrace change and get on with the task at hand

PETALING JAYA: A MIC division leader has called on the party leadership to hold party elections soon as it risks of being deregistered by the Registrar or Societies if it continues to delay the polls.

“MIC deputy president M Saravanan’s call for immediate party polls to elect the top leadership is timely. In fact the party would be infringing the Societies Act if polls are not conducted soon.

“Besides remaining legally intact, MIC’s relevance within the Malaysian political sphere rests on its earnest effort to attract the younger generation,” said Kota Raja MIC division chief RS Maniam.

“To achieve this MIC should not just be organising entertaining theatricals, musical performances, futsal competitions etc…this is not what most youngsters want from a party like MIC,” he added.

Maniam said the younger generation is yearning for change “in the tone, mode and content of the political dialogue.”

He was reacting to a resolution by the Selangor MIC on Thursday which supported party president G Palanivel who wanted a no-contest ruling for the top post in the party’s elections to be held this year.

Maniam said MIC should take heed of the Prime Minister’s decision of appointing Transparency International head Paul Low to the cabinet.

“He (Najib) is reacting positively to the clarion call from all segments of Malaysians for transparency and good governance. That was a sign of a responsive leadership.

“Unfortunately in the case of MIC, the results of the general election is an awakening call. The party did worst than the last election. It performed better under the former president (S Samy Vellu).

“The party has been reduced to a South Malaysia party. No MIC state representations in Selangor all the way up north. Not a single state seat was won by the MIC, where most number of Indians reside.

“However, there has been no admission of this fact, let alone an analysis of any nature to guide future strategic planning,” Maniam added

Embrace change
MIC contested nine parliamentary and 18 state seats in the last election. It won four parliamentary and five state seats. This is two state seats less compared to the 2008 election.

Maniam said despite this alarming state of affairs, it was sad to note that “some quarters” in the party were solely focusing on the resolutions calling for no contest for the party’s top post.

“MIC’s source of strength is its 4,000 branches from Padang Besar in the north to Johor Baru in the south. It is almost 25 years since this cadre of party members voted in any presidential elections.

“It is critical that in the interest of the party’s trajectory into the future, the party leadership invoke true democratic space for the cadre of 4,000 branch chairman to elect their next leader.

“No one should deny them this right…why should leaders of substance be afraid of their electorate? Let there be elections, the winning candidate is not the only winner, but MIC as a party would have won. It is the right to move towards the future.

“Please give change a chance in MIC, if not we will be changed by the people in the 14th general election,” said Maniam.