How will MIC fight for Indians if it needs to be rescued by Umno, asks DAP

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kula Segaran says MIC seems to have a puppet president. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, January 31, 2015.

How can the MIC champion the interests of the Indians in the country if the troubled party needed to be rescued by Umno, a DAP lawmaker questioned today.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kula Segaran said that MIC seemed to have a puppet president in Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, who he noted was the weakest among all its former presidents.

"Three days ago, MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan said that Palanivel was the choice of Najib for president," he said, referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"Although unable to deliver on the needs of the Indian community, now it looks like MIC has a puppet president and the weakest among all its former presidents."

Kula Segaran questioned how the Indian-based party could be expected to fight for the community if its leaders could not work together but instead, needed Umno's interference to settle the conflict within.

"If MIC president needs to be decided by Umno, where is MIC’s credibility and dignity? And if the party needs to be rescued by Umno, how can it champion the Indians’ interest?"

Trouble began brewing in MIC after the Registrar of Societies (RoS) found irregularities in the party polls early last month and ordered the party to hold fresh elections for its three vice-presidencies and 23 positions in the Central Working Committee (CWC) within 90 days.

The RoS directive also sparked fears that failure to conduct fresh polls would result in the party's deregistration.

The situation worsened when Palanivel replaced several state party leaders – a move seen by critics as an attempt to consolidate his control of the party.

MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan was replaced as Federal Territory state liaison committee chairman by Datuk Rajoo Vyraperumal, while Tan Sri Ramasamy Muthusamy took over from Palanivel as Perak chief.

Datuk Ganesan Arumugam was named as new Negri Sembilan state liaison committee chief, taking over from Datuk S. Sothinathan.

MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and Saravanan have been urging Palanivel to respond to the RoS findings that the elections of its central working committee members in 2013 were problematic and that fresh polls should be held.

Palanivel has been accused of stalling by both, but the MIC chief has insisted he was doing his best to resolve the situation.

Following several altercations at the party headquarters, death threats, a hunger strike and police reports, Najib intervened and said that he and his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, would try to find the best formula to resolve the BN component party’s problems.

"MIC is an important partner in Barisan Nasional. We need an MIC that is strong and can help us in all aspects. We will look for the best formula," Najib was reported saying by national news agency Bernama.

Kula Segaran said today that the fights within MIC for leadership positions have been most shocking, adding that the party has not learnt its lesson from its dismal performances in the past few general elections.

"Notwithstanding the outcome in the last GE of 2013 where they were nearly wiped out, MIC has not learnt the bitter lesson of simple politics.

"The call is to address the people’s woes which go unattended. This marginalised community drawback will not be settled by politicians who are keen only to preserve their own turf," said the DAP national vice-chairman, adding that before the 2008 general election, MIC had seven lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat but was nearly wiped out in that particular poll.

Kula Segaran said the MIC has failed to address the issues plaguing the Indian community, who are known to have the highest school drop-out rate, highest illiteracy rate, highest number of alcoholics and the highest number of single mothers, among others, in Malaysia.

"MIC must focus to help the have-nots especially from the Indian community and settle their internal problems immediately and with dignity," he added.

- TMI