Samy Vellu’s men might have swept the top posts in the MIC party elections, but the future of race-based politics and parties remains distinctly bleak.
Leaving aside the lack of renewal in the party’s top leadership, the reality is that race-based parties are catering to a shrinking “market”, despite the best attempts of politicians to whip up ethnic sentiment. Thus, we now see attempts to use religion for political mileage. All this at great cost to unity.
While there are many disenfranchised Indian Malaysians – as there are those of other ethnic groups – the problem is not one of race but socio-economic policies that fail to protect the interests of the lower-income group.
The lack of a minimum wage, the suppression of wages through the import of foreign workers and weak trade union laws undermine the position of workers – all in the name of promoting a pro-business climate. Moreover, neo-liberal policies that favour private corporations and privatisation of essential services have led to a two-tier system emerging in several areas while essential services such as health care and education are either stretched, underfunded or poorly managed.
Today, many Malaysians are struggling just to make ends meet.
There is little that race-based parties like the MIC can do to tackle such issues, especially when the interests of the elite in the political-business nexus are so divergent from those of the marginalised communities.
My dear Indian brothers and sisters. Being a minority in the country stay united. The Indians do not need too many poliitcal parties. The plight of the poor Indians will be heard if the community is united under a good leader. Samy, for that matter,should engage with all leaders of the fractious poltical parties representing the Indians in the country. It’s not power that matters, it’s how much you all can contribute to give a decent life for the unfortunate Indians. You cannot afford to be disunited as your number is small.
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Sebagai majikan, siapa sokong gaji minima? Kalau boleh semua pembantu rumah atau pekerja tak payah gaji. Boleh jimat kos dan untung lebih.
Ini realiti kehidupan.
Kalau sebagai pekerja, janganlah pergi kerja di tempat yang gaji rendah.
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I agree, Anil. Besides, had Subra and his team won, MIC would be no different, maybe worse as Mahathir would be able to brag his influence in MIC But Samy now could brag he is still more popular than Mahathir in MIC. What a slap in the face for Mahathir. If only many more Malaysians of whatever political persuasion–in particular the media that still slavishly distributes stuff from his blog–would also turn their backs on him and ignore him. Perhaps then Malaysia could hope to expunge his political poison from Malaysia. Too much to expect?
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I think this is the end of MIC. This is his last term…. MIC will be dead after this.
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Good for Pakatan if Uncle Sam’s man won.
Back to square 1.
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Apa MIC sekarang boleh buat adalah hantar cek RM3.2 juta kepada penduduk Kg Buah Pala. Ini janji mereka.
Selain itu, MIC juga berguna kepada sekolah-sekolah jenis Tamil.
Semasa deepavali, Thaipusam dan majlis pembukaan mesyuarat parti MIC, sekolah-sekolah ini akan dapat peruntukan beberapa juta dari Perdana Menteri.
Kolej MIC juga bagi biasiswa.
Setakat inilah fungsi MIC. Saya tidak tahulah, jika presiden parti boleh kalah dalam pilihan raya, apa yang orang bawahan parti boleh buat?
Betul juga, MIC juga berguna seperti membuat demo, sebagai contoh mereka membuat demo dalam isu Kg Buah Pala.
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Excellent news on Samy Vellu & team and Pari coming back to Power. From my contacts in Putrajaya, I was told that Samy did (allegedly) demand a Ministerial position via a Senator entry for himself. It is alleged that Najib told him off and sent him packing with Uncle Sam unable to pull in the Indian votes.
As long as Samy is in power, major block of Indians will vote for PR! Kudos!
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i agree with karma minorities need to unite and support one good leader then u stand a chace but it is too bad that a lot of inncocent people are dreaming listen to DSAI so sad,with 60% for majotiry we hope a really fair pie dun even think about that man we minorities only destroying ourselves by having too many parties that claimed fighting for our benefits a bunch of ******** if they really care unite not fighting against each other.pakatan is ******** too they can’t even compromise untill today no mutual policy yet they just trying to act like they compromise which actually not, malaysia is a unique country race base party suppose to be still relevant cos when u have a group of majotiry of over 60% even a non race based party like DSAI claimed still cannot solve a lot of problem
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guys as indian i told u all that indian community had no chance to grow it up if there is MIC…… there is another group willing to help indian called hindraf try to help indian community also banned and the leader was throw in to a place called ISA…..so the CONCLUSION is got party also the same without party also same……..indian people like me juz grew up because of their own parent who work morning night every day to feed,get study until settle in the life….indian never hope hak istimewa,biasiswa and wat ever it is free…juz hope the briliant brain…
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It doesn’t make any difference as to who wins – whether it is Samy’s men or Subra’s. The Indians have been decimated professionally from what they had been in the early 60-70′s to what they are now. Blame it on MIC who represent the Indians for their well being…. Also, blame it on UMNO, for M… destroyed this beautiful nation by… with his discriminative rule during which corruption and utter imcompentency flourished. Today, corruption, laziness and inefficiency is the norm of the day – be it in the bloated civil service or in any Govt-linked institution.
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The key to bringing marginalized Indians into the mainstream of development lies in uplifting all marginalized people by affirmative action based on need, not race. Special race based affirmative action for Indians is not the solution as any affirmative action based on any criteria other than need will always be abused. Indian nationalism is an even worse solution and will only invoke like response from other races resulting in the continuance of a racially polarized society from which BN benefits.
Hindraf’s response to the Indian problem lack vision as a holistic long term solution is required, not short term, unsustainable piecemeal approach. This can only come about through political change at the Federal level. Umno’s political power hinge on leveraging a polarized society based on Malay supremacy and this means treatment of all races can never be equal.
Instead of helping PR effect a political change, Hindraf is now at odds with PR and attempts to draw away Indian votes will benefit BN. Hindraf’s contention that PR has done nothing for Indians is unfair as state govts have severely limited powers with all policies and control centralized under the Federal govt. Despite this, progress has been made in PR states protecting minority rights such as places of worship.
The way forward is not more racial jingoism which leads directly to BN’s racial trap but multi-racial politics to blunt BN’s political stranglehold. For example, asking Indians not to vote in Bagan Pinang will let BN smirk all the way to an easy victory and validation of their divide and rule strategy.
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With UMNO’s arrogance MCA, Gerakan and MIC are all finished. Playing a ‘big brother’ role UMNO has finished these partners of theirs. As one non-UMNO politician from a component party described, “We are like beggars asking for help from UMNO controlled government”. MIC, MCA and Gerakan should not blame themselves but UMNO. It was UMNO that wrecked you all by playing arrogant politics. It’s too late now. Nothing much can be done now, as UMNO is also sinking. Just leave the parties and join Pakatan. What happened to LDP in Japan will soon happen to BN. We will see a change in the gvernment. This is what karma is. We cannot defeat the karma. Arrogance has distanced BN from the people. Good luck to Pakatan. Prove yourself to be a viable alternative. The people will support you. Pakatan should help all the people irrespective of race. Help the poor among the Malays, Indians, Chinese and our brothers and sisters in Sabah and Sarawak. May God bless Pakatan.
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Dr. M would join ranks with Michael Jackson, Ted Kennedy & Walter Cronkite soon. Dr M can learn from MJ on moon walk, TK on getting drunk and WC on democracies.
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If there is any split in the MIC, it is sami’s making.
BN esp umno is helping and with good reason split it further by driving a wedge between sami and subra. Which is exactly what umno wants, a disunited indian community. I m sure a new indian or chinese party applies for ros it will be approved immediately. This is old game in swak already where the pbb fragmented the dayaks into snap, pbds, prs, star, spdp factions.
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Samy’s hidden agenda (allegedly) is to bring Val paari and put him on the throne … The indian community on the whole is all right but samy vellu has his own community which he controls. Until this situation is corrected samy will … the whole nation… You all must remember that the only leader who got rotten eggs … is samy.. no one else…
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