Wrong to say MIC a spent force

 

From R Thinalan

FMT columnist Imran Ariff wrote that PAS Youth’s recent opposition to pop concerts, soon after Billie Eilish had performed in Kuala Lumpur, was bizarre. He went on to accuse the MIC and MCA of shirking their responsibility to defend the views and needs of non-Malays.

The ones responsible for organising the Billie Eilish concert should be the ones called upon to defend that concert, not MIC or MCA.

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Let me say that three major Tamil concerts – by Yuvan Shankar Raja, Sid Sriram and Pradeep Kumar – have taken place so far this year and we have not heard a single protest from anyone or any group. And it is wrong to say we don’t speak up for the Indian community.

Imran also said that “by and large the two parties are spiraling towards irrelevancy”.

MIC is not only stronger, but has a clearer vision for the community and nation and I assure you that this is not a “farewell tour”, as claimed by Imran, but simply the beginning.

As MIC president S Vigneswaran always says, MIC had to rethink and restructure itself post GE14; and the party and its loyal members have weathered the storm.

MIC has never taken a back seat. The understanding between Barisan Nasional component parties to safeguard our respective communities has, to date, been successful.

We have always stood together united, without the need to come up with a new logo or for a “big tent” approach.

The Indian community might be small in population but the political impact of MIC on society is huge.

Isn’t this clear through the performance of the sole Indian representative from MIC in the government compared with the four Indian representatives before?

The MIC is actively serving the people. For instance, the president has just launched the party’s human rights task force to assist those who have been wrongfully detained under Sosma.

The MIC has also handed out scholarships and loans totalling RM169,871,580 through the Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) to 12,487 students since 1984.

The party is also the first on the ground with volunteers from its Briged MIC during disasters, and the party arranged 23 flights to bring back Malaysians stranded in India during the Covid-19 pandemic.

MIC is also looking after the wellbeing and development of temples and Tamil schools.

It is sad that Imran does not know a single non-Malay who still believes in MCA and MIC and thinks we are a spent force. He should look at the results of the recent Melaka and Johor state elections. - FMT

R Thinalan is MIC information chief.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.