IT IS a strange but not entirely a new phenomenon that certain developments on the subcontinent can make waves among the Indian community in Malaysia.
The latest example of this is popular Tamil actor C. Joseph Vijay’s fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) having made a stunning electoral debut on yesterday (May 4) by emerging as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly election.
In doing so, it disrupted a nearly half-century-old bipolar landscape dominated by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Yes, all this is very exciting if you closely follow regional geo-politics but why was that electoral victory met with such excitement and hubris among Malaysian Indians?
This was the pertinent question by a Facebooker going by the pseudonym of Karathu Machan. “Is that Vijay going to solve the problems of Malaysian Indians?” it was pointedly asked.
The post which has generated 1.3K likes, 842 comments and 75 shares at time of writing has ignited fierce debate on the topic of hero-actor worship among Malaysian Indians.
Some hardcore fans saw nothing wrong and equated it with celebrating sporting victories of foreign football teams. It was argued that, too, brought no tangible benefits.
However, the retort was that sports and politics are very different arenas. One was purely entertainment while the other dealt with real decisions impacting real people.
Admitting the victory did nothing for locals, one obvious Vijay-diehard urged the poster not to be “a killjoy”. It was noted that the popular actor’s victory was celebrated by Malays as well and the excitement is heightened among Malaysian Indians because they are his fans.
A local Tamilian simply said it was inspiring to see a newcomer do well against legendary parties. There was no need for him to give anything in return and the poster was chastised for having this mentality that “everything be about getting something in return”.
One political expert even went as far to suggest that local politicians learn from Vijay in breaking the stranglehold of established parties with his own party which only debuted in 2024.
Some even surmised that the 51-year-old’s surprise victory in Tamil Nadu could be precursor for change in Malaysian politics by inspiring others here to follow in his footsteps.
Others advised the poster to take a chill pill and not to get too worked up about the whole thing. It was also noted that congratulatory messages came from the world over and not just Malaysia.
Taking the opportunity to score points in debate in domestic politics, one observer made the barbed remark that while Malaysian Indians celebrated Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim becoming Prime Minister, the jury is out there as to “what has he done for Malaysian Indians”.
Editor’s Note: Vijay’s win sent waves of excitement through his fanbase, including in Malaysia, where a local tea shop celebrated by giving away hundreds of free drinks “out of sheer love for Vijay.”
Malay Mail reported that Mohamed Rizwan Abdul Ghafoor Khan, co-founder of the popular Tea Kadai chain, took his celebration a step further.
After seeing Vijay’s commanding lead in the polls, his outlets in Penang and Kuala Lumpur offered free tea to all customers who presented a congratulatory poster of the actor.
They served nearly 400 cups of free tea from 4pm until midnight. “We’re doing this out of sheer love for Vijay sir,” Mohamed Rizwan told Malay Mail.
Vijay has long-standing ties to Malaysia, having filmed blockbusters like Kuruvi (2008) and Kaavalan (2011) here.
His Thalapathy Thiruvizha swansong concert and movie album launch at Bukit Jalil National Stadium last December drew a record-breaking crowd of nearly 80,000 people.
- Focus Malaysia
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