MIC’s UGLY Politics

In the years before the liberating elections of 2008, 80% or more of the Indian vote would without fail end up in the grubby hands of the Barisan Nasional. Within BN the Indians were represented by the MIC, a party mostly filled with the dregs of Indian society. Educated Indians generally shunned the MIC and the despicable politicians who filled its ranks, exemplified best by the obese and gangsterish Samy Vellu.

In the 2013 general election, according to a Merdeka Centre survey, BN only received 44% of the Indian vote. The MIC, due to its excesses and the corruption of its office-bearers, had been cut down to size. It was better off only compared to the MCA, which retained only 10% of the Chinese vote.

Despite its come-uppance, MIC remains filled with the same old politicians whose ineptitude and corruption had brought it to its knees. They are now engaged in a desperate battle to gain party positions. A senior party position in the MIC comes automatically with government position, an irresistible lure for the otherwise incompetent.

The lineup

The President’s chair has been filled by G.Palanivel thanks to some convoluted secret deal forged between the Palani and Samy camps by their Umno masters.

Subramaniam, the deputy president is not safely home, as it seems increasingly likely that he may be challenged by Sothinathan, a former Samy factotum, or Saravanan, a thuggish politician and current Samy loyalist. Samy Vellu, though despised by the Indians generally, continues to wield influence within the MIC.

The Health Minister, Subramaniam, had shown himself to be a weak and vacillating figure in the run-up to the elections, and so is vulnerable to attack. During the aftermath of the not so secret ‘secret’ deal brokered by Najib, what can only be lie and counter-lie was being spread by the different MIC factions.

Also up for grabs are the 3 vice-presidential positions, a certain path to deputy ministership within the MIC. Contesting will be Sothinathan and Saravanan (if they do not aim for the higher position of Deputy President), the election loser but Perak Speaker by appointment, S.Devamany,

Kamalanathan, a sally-on-the-spot deputy education minister who shamed himself among the Indians by attempting to cover up the Sri Pristina school issue and, notoriously, by kissing Umno deputy president Muhyiddin’s hand,

Vell Paari, the portly son of Samy Vellu, whose attempts to recast himself as a liberal politician has been met with general cynicism and Jaspal Singh, an appointed MIC Senator and its Treasurer-General

'Bai' party

It was this last personage who came under a vicious and racist attack from Saravanan, the Deputy Sports Minister, today. Saravanan, in obvious reference to Jaspal Singh, bemoaned the fact that the MIC had become a ‘bai’ party. ‘Bai’ is a derogatory term for Sikhs, of which community Jaspal Singh is a prominent member.

It was a remarkable and racist attack on a tiny minority by a person holding high government position. But this is, of course, Najib’s cabinet, where racism is all in a days work.

Jaspal Singh, surprisingly for an MIC politician, had been showing signs of intelligence, writing articles to the English press, quoting Shakespeare and Dickens at will. He also seems to have garnered strong support for the VP position in the coming elections, which may have led to Saravanan perceiving him as a threat. That is poor excuse for so shameful an attack.

The corrupt, deceitful and now racist MIC most certainly does not deserve the support of the Indian community, now, or anytime in the future.

MAILBAG