Waytha: He coveted high position & when he finally got it, he was SHUNNED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE

RES Ipsa Loquitur (the thing itself speaks in Latin) aptly describes Senator P. Waythamoorthy's timely exit from the corridors of power in Putrajaya where he probably spent the last nine months ruing his decision to become part of the government.

There were rumblings right from May 18 last year when he was appointed deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department about the wisdom of including in government the chairman of an organisation that had openly exhibited antipathy towards the Barisan Nasional.

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) had precipitated the public show of defiance against the government with its street protests on Nov 25, 2007, that saw the powers that be come down hard on it.

This, on its own, was reason enough among many to preclude his role in the government as a protector of Indian rights.

There were misgivings on both sides – within the Barisan Nasional (BN) government and with Waythamoorthy himself – probably from day one.

The BN clearly did not know what to do with him after inviting him into the fold. Waythamoorthy probably did not know that he would be left high and dry in the exalted position that he had coveted.

Besides his detractors from outside, the MIC saw his appointment as deputy minister on May 18 and senator on June 5 as being inimical to its role in the Cabinet and government.

Minister post was reward for helping to garner Indian support for BN

Waythamoorthy was brought into government as payback for any role he may have played in garnering Indian support for the Barisan Nasional in the May 5 general election.

Whether or not Hindraf's support of the BN saw an equal increase in support among Indians for the ruling coalition is anyone's guess.

What is certain is that the man who spent years abroad as a persona non grata in Malaysia was like a square peg in a round hole in government.

Where ministers or deputy ministers are regularly featured by the local media whenever they engaged with the citizenry, there were few instances like that for Waythamoorthy, whether by accident or design.

The media had little access to him even as it tried hard to reveal his plans for the Indian community.

Unlike his leading role in Hindraf which will go down in history, there was no report card on his performance in government.

History will decide if Waytha-moorthy's brief and unexpected rise to a position beyond his furthest dreams 10 years ago was doomed from the start because of its sheer impossibility or if other factors from within and without BN precipitated his exit from government.

One thing is for sure: it will be a while before the words "Hindraf" and "government" can be used comfortably in the same sentence. - The Sundaily