There are no checks and balances in BN, says former MIC sec-gen

Drawing on his experience, S Murugesan says anyone who voices dissent to a party leader is immediately blacklisted.

Former MIC secretary-general S Murugesan says he knows ‘how the system works’. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Former MIC secretary-general S Murugesan today challenged former prime minister Najib Razak’s claim that Umno members were free to approach him over any dissatisfactions or differences in opinion.

In a statement to FMT, he said checks and balances within Barisan Nasional (BN) might exist in form, but not in substance.

“The moment you voice your dissent to a leader, be it in private or in a meeting, you will be blacklisted immediately. You will be lucky if they leave you at that,” he said.

“Often, when it comes to matters that concern the party president himself, the retribution will be harsh and swift.”

In the meantime, he said, the leader’s “henchmen” would begin a campaign to tarnish and discredit anyone who voiced opposing views.

“They will do such a fantastic job that by the time you make your views public, you are already persona non grata. You would have been stripped of your post on some flimsy grounds and by the time you make your views known, you will branded as suffering from the ‘sour grapes’ syndrome.

“You will then be branded as an enemy within, and everyone will close ranks with the party president. In the meantime, the problem remains unresolved and the party machinery will work overtime to justify its position.”

Murugesan became MIC secretary-general after the party’s elections in 2009. However, he was sacked by then-MIC supremo S Samy Vellu for criticising the party leadership over the sacking of MIC deputy youth chief V Mugilan and several central working committee members.

He was allowed back into the party and given the secretary-general’s position again after G Palanivel took over in 2010.

He resigned following the 2013 general election, saying the time had come to allow other party leaders to continue rebuilding MIC under Palanivel’s leadership.

Given his experience in MIC, he said, he knew “how the system works”.

“I spoke out publicly against the summary sacking of those who called for the resignation of Samy Vellu, and was removed from my position immediately.

“About two years ago, I joined Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin and spoke out against 1MDB. I publicly called on my BN friends to make their stand too. I was immediately and summarily stripped of my membership in MIC.”

Murugesan said any BN leader who disagreed with his party president on major issues had only two options.

The first, he said, was to remain silent and toe the party line.

“It might even help to publicly announce your ardent support for your leader – it will help to fend off suspicion and keep the wolves at bay.”

The second option was to go public before any counter-measures were taken, he said.

“At least with this option, you get to make your stand known first and the general public might even sympathise with you for it.

“Of course, you will be vilified and tarnished beyond measure after that. However, you would have had the chance to say your piece first.”

To Najib’s claim that Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and other party leaders had been free to approach him about concerns over his government, Murugesan said “it doesn’t work that way”.

“The fact remains that Khairy and other BN leaders took the politically expedient route by keeping mum, but that’s another topic for discussion.” -FMT