MIC will become irrelevant due to its own failings – Nathan Suppiah

This is an open letter in response to Selva Mookiah’s article “Is the MIC still relevant?”. His intention was clearly twofold: firstly, he implicitly argues that the MIC is still relevant, and secondly, he explicitly states that the Barisan Nasional (BN) is undermining its relevance. In the interest of full disclosure, it has to be stated that Selva Mookiah sits on the board of the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science & Technology (AIMST) and the New Affirmative Action Movement (NAAM) Foundation, as well as being the legal advisor of the MIC. In other words he is inextricably linked to the past, present and future leaders of the party i.e. Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu who is chairman of the AIMST, Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, who appoints the party’s legal advisor, among other senior appointments made by the sitting party President, and Datuk M. Saravanan, who drives the NAAM Foundation.

Given his proximity to the party leadership and seniority, he should have asked why the Government is not contributing even more to fund the education of more Indian children from poor backgrounds. Instead, he is only concerned with how others are out to consciously make the party irrelevant. As with most MIC leaders these days, it is extremely difficult to see how his arguments and actions are not based on personal self-interest given his current positions.

Having dealt with the writer’s obvious personal bias, we should address his one-sided accusation of government funding only going to non-MIC linked organisations. Lest we forget, the Government has and continues to fund MIC-linked organisations. If we take the MiED, mentioned by Selva Mookiah as an example in his letter, it should be noted that the Government channeled more than RM300 million to the MiED towards the construction of AIMST University. Much more recently, the Government has committed some RM70 million to the NAAM Foundation. Even the Tan Sri Manickavasagam Scholarship Fund (TSMSF) has received more than RM10 million from the current BN administration. Even MIC foundations such the Yayasan Strategik Sosial and Yayasan Pemulihan Sosial have received tens of millions of Government funding. Lastly, in this regard, let’s not forget the millions going to NGOs directly linked to MIC leaders.

Therefore, now that we clearly know that many MIC-linked organisations have, and continue, to receive millions of Ringgit in Government funding every year, the question then arises is that if the BN Government has indeed channelled hundreds of millions of Ringgit to MIC-linked organisations, why has the influence and effectiveness of the MIC amongst the Malaysian Indian community dramatically plummeted?

The answer to this lies within the failings of the party to be aware of and address the grievances of the Indian community leading in the years leading up to the Hindraf uprising. From the top down, they had mangled their own constitution so that leaders disconnected from the people could long maintain their top positions. They lost touch with what made them strong in the past.

Apart from this larger point, there is another more specific point related to Selva Mookiah’s agenda driven arguments. This primarily centres on how badly the MIC has managed the funds directed to it by successive BN Governments. The examples chosen below nearly all relate to so-called MIC-linked organisations which Selva Mookiah implies are shining upstanding examples.

Let’s begin with the MAIKA fiasco and continue to the present day NAAM Foundation and the MiED. The common thread is that every single MIC-linked organisation is mired in the perception of lacking in integrity and being badly run. Over the last few years, the shocking controversy surrounding the mismanagement of funds under the MiED laid bare in the recent case involving Mrs. Chitrakala illustrates why the MIC is in no position to manage any money.

Furthermore, if you take the multi-million dollar assets held by the MiED, Selva Mookiah should know that there is no legal link whatsoever between the MIC and the MiED at this point in time. In other words, the Government has in effect funded the now privately held AIMST University worth some hundreds of millions of Ringgit. If Selva Mookiah meant what he said, he should champion the legal return of the MiED to the MIC, rather than standby and allow the privatisation of AIMST University, as well as all other MiED assets. With regards to NAAM, this foundation was supposed to be agriculture focused, however, it is publicly known that Datuk M. Saravanan also channels funds approved by the foundation board to party leaders not receiving any support from the current party President. Amongst others, the Youth Chief and the Wanita Chief of the MIC have each received more than RM1 million from the NAAM Foundation for their activities. On the TSMSF program, it is interesting to note that this TSMSF program was effectively shut down while Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was the party President, and only asked for and received Government funding once Datuk Seri G. Palanivel became President.

The above examples of blatant mismanagement, lack of integrity and rabid infighting are just but a few that has, and will continue to plague the party. This is first and foremost what makes the MIC more and more irrelevant as the years go by. It has come to a stage today where it cannot even competently organise an internal party election without controversy, and without begging the Government to intervene and solve its internal problems.

With regard to Selva Mookiah’s emotional appeal in describing the MIC’s members as “lackeys” and those who “fill up halls”, he inadvertently displays his naiveté in the current Malaysian political landscape. He should try and remember the last time the MIC, or any MIC leader, managed to fill up a hall or put up banners without funding from some source or the other.

He also says that the BN leadership should not forget the sacrifices and undivided support made by MIC members. He himself chooses to forget that this sacrifice and support has been forgotten by the MIC’s own leadership as they focused on fighting each other and dividing the party into many caste-ridden factions.

Selva Mookiah is a relatively new member of the fragile glass house that the MIC is today, he should think twice before he throws stones.

He should also read the comments from the Insider’s readers – the truth does hurt…

*Nathan Suppiah reads The Malaysian Insider.