Family claims MIC exploited senior citizen by making him wear Bossku T-shirt

RANTAU POLLS | A family today claimed that MIC had exploited an elderly member of their family by having him take off his Pakatan Harapan T-shirt and put on a "Bossku" T-shirt, an act which was recorded in a video.

The family was represented by PKR Youth vice-chief Thiban Subramaniam, who today called a press conference with the senior citizen's wife A Saroja, daughter N Mariamma and son-in-law S Saravanan.

"I was informed by the family that the senior citizen was not of sound mind due to his advanced age and lives in Bandar Ekar, near where MIC organised its ceramah last night.

"When he was passing by the area, MIC members stopped him. He was then brought to MIC deputy president M Saravanan who asked him to change his Harapan T-shirt," Thiban told a press conference in Bandar Ekar, Rantau today.

"Bossku" is a moniker for former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, coined by his supporters.

The MIC ceramah yesterday was part of the Rantau by-election campaign. 

At 27 percent, Rantau has the eighth most Indian population out of the 505 state constituencies in the country. Malays make up 54 percent and Chinese at 19 percent.

Thiban expressed regret that MIC supporters recorded the incident and made the video viral.

"This is a disgusting and irresponsible political strategy. He is 60 years old and wasn't aware what was happening.

"He went home not knowing what happened until his family members saw the video that had went viral," he said.

Thiban added that the family will be lodging a police report. He urged the public to stop circulating the video, stating that the senior citizen was now traumatised.

The by-election will see a contest between BN's Mohamad Hasan, Harapan's Dr S Streram and independent candidates Mohd Nor Yassin and R Malar.

The Rantau by-election was triggered following the Election Court's decision to void Mohamad's walkover victory in GE14 due to the returning officer preventing his contender Streram from filing nomination papers.

Polling day takes place on April 13.   - Mkini