Does MIC really need Palanivel?

If he can't get anything done about Cameron Highlands, how is he going to address the rot in his party?

COMMENT

Everybody, give your biggest round of applause to the hero of the pandas, G Palanivel, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. The nation surely held it’s breath in anticipation as he stood in Parliament yesterday to proudly announce that more than 127,000 visitors had seen Zoo Negara’s collection of two giant pandas. It was truly a milestone achievement for our national zoo and, by extension, Palanivel’s ministry and, by further extension, the political party that he leads.

Never mind that we have just witnessed a man-made natural disaster in Cameron Highlands. That’s small news, just the destruction of houses and the death of some people. Certainly nothing worth giving a statement about while addressing the highest lawmaking authority in the land. Certainly not worth a statement from the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, who happens to be the Member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands.

At the very least, Palanivel should be up there in Cameron with his ministry people, looking to see how they can begin repairing the environment of one of Malaysia’s most treasured national landmarks. After all, isn’t that something that should fall under the purview of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment?

But then again, even if he did, it would be just too little too late. The Pahang MB, Adnan Yaakob, has come out blaming the residents for not moving despite the government’s advice that something like the mud flood would happen. Another example of abject stupidity, really. Does the blame really fall on the residents of Bertam Valley when there should have been less development on the slopes of the highlands in the very first place? But then again, there are houses for the rich to be built on those slopes and the poor residents of the valley will just have to make do and fend for themselves. And should tragedy befall them, well, the government warned them.

But enough about Adnan. The bottom line really comes back to this: what does MIC think about its President? It’s like he can’t get anything done, whether it is to get the party back in order or even seizing this golden opportunity to show that he can handle a crisis. How indeed is he going to handle the crisis of political relevance that his party is facing?

On top of this, we have MIC’s strategic director, Vell Paari, demanding for the hidden hands behind this disaster – the “politicians and officials on the take” – to be charged with manslaughter. Bravo, bravo. Brave words indeed, and even more so for daring to take on your boss by asking him to put together a panel to investigate the incident. It’s a waste of time though, because you already know the reason behind the accident. It’s just that you lack the political will or human decency to actually take action and resolve the issues before disaster strikes.

Palanivel, just resign from your ministership if you do not have any intention to properly resolve the environmental issue Cameron Highlands is facing before the next disaster strikes. Resign as MP for Cameron Highlands because you have failed to come to the aid and defence of your constituents in their hour of need.

The systemic rot of the MIC needs to be addressed, and Palanivel’s inability to get the job done when it matters most is symbolic of the party’s downfall from grace, if there was any left after it was tossed out by the Indian community in GE12. If the party ever intends to be politically relevant again, and that’s a big if, it needs to get it’s game plan together instead of hoping to be spoon fed by Najib’s administration and skipping out on the real hard work.

Or MIC could spend another generation or so out in the political wilderness. If it worked for the Israelites back in the exodus, who’s to say it won’t help the MIC get its head on straight once again?