Mahathir has said it’s time for Samy Vellu to go, but what about Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud?
“In my (era of) leadership, almost everybody has retired, even me,” Mahathir was quoted as saying. “He (Samy) is the only one left.” The former premier added that the under-fire MIC president has set a record for being the longest-serving leader of a political party in the country.
Few would disagree with Mahathir on that score. But what does he have to say about White Hair?
Let’s look at their respective careers at the top:
- Samy became MIC president and Cabinet Minister in 1979 (lost Cabinet post in 2008).
- Mahathir became Umno president and PM in 1981 (quit in 2003).
- Taib Mahmud became PBB president and Sarawak Chief Minister in 1981.
Both Mahathir and Samy are no longer holding their Cabinet posts. But while Mahathir also quit the Umno presidency, Samy remains as MIC president – perhaps until GAS reaches him, that is.
Only Taib Mahmud has been holding on to both his executive and party posts for 29 years – seven years longer than Mahathir. Taib may have won his state assembly seat in elections held during this period. But today, he has become a huge liability to the BN during elections, as was evident during the Sibu by-election – an albatross around Sarawak BN’s neck.
Let’s not even talk about his management of the Sarawak economy, which has seen his family firm CMS flourish. The state economy functions in a climate of rampant cronyism, the widespread takeover of native customary land, the loss of forest reserves and environmental degradation, not to mention the Bakun Dam fiasco.
The only reason for keeping Taib Mahmud in power all this while is that, through the ‘politics of development’, he has kept Sarawak a BN ‘safe deposit’ in terms of assured parliamentary seats. But even that reason is gradually evaporating in the mists of the vanishing rainforests as Sarawakians now wake up to the full impact of his administration’s policies. Pakatan now fancies its chances of dislodging the BN from a string of state seats in the coming Sarawak election.
Do we have to wait until White Hair completes 20 dams? Time to go, Taib Mahmud. Enough is enough.
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Mahathir should stop asking others to go. He himself has not gone away from the scene. A busy body who did not do much to help the poor Indians during his time. Samy in this context should stay as he has been democratically elected by MIC members to be there. It’s not Nahathir’s business to tell Samy what to do. The GAS that has gone out of gas is a flop. It’s not MIC supporters who want GAS, its some others who want it to happen. Since the balloon is now out of GAS, let Samy stay as long as… Read more »
What about Karpal, LKS, Nik Aziz ? At least Samy and Mahatir are not hypocrites who claim to represent “Change” and “Reform”.
What’s the hurry to get Samy Vellu out now? By now he has got No-Value. He needs something to keep him active in his old age. Let Samy stay as President of My-Indian Congress as long as he wants. He is not doing any harm to anyone anymore. He has no power to dictate terms in BN. He has no clout to swing contracts. All said and done, he is contributing significantly to the realization that there is someone else who can help the Indians. Stay Samy, at least until 2013. This is to show everyone who is the boss… Read more »
Don’t be too happy all these PKM have gone! They are tooo cunning to spawn more … to continue their ‘legacies’. Unless (they are stopped), they will continue to suck this country high and dry. By the way, too many lawyers and political fighters have migrated elsewhere, so we dearly need the likes of Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz, Anwar Ibrahim, Zaid Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng, Mohammad Nizar, V. Sivakumar and the courageous spirit of Teoh Beng Hock to fight for the Rakyat’s future.
Samy Vellu reply to Mahathir is that he himself Mahathir is still around pulling the strings and dream of being like Lee Kuan Yew.
M… is always notorious for his special treatments towards his cronies. He will bang everyone who opposes his pet projects, namely Crooked Bridge, Bakun Dam, Proton, Perwaja,and etc. Maybe it is time for another white elephant project … to remember his great CONTRIBUTION of converting this country into another Zimbabwe. Don’t worry about the money, we have plenty to spend after the subsidy cut, right?
All this mention of turning us into another Zimbabwe. How about we look at the World Cup instead (I’m not a football fan) Oh my goodness. Zimbabwe have a team there. 🙂
How about Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh ???
They belong to MM era as well.
Hate Mahathir will not give anything to have effect. Emulate what is good of him to promote yourself.
Dedicated to dear blerssed Samy Malu, “Now is the hour, when we must say, Good bye”…
What about shenanigan Mahathir full time retirement and play with his … grand children ?
Stop opening his mouth and stop giving unsolicited opinions !
Do you expect this shameless man… to take a look at himself before talking?
Ho 😳 Ho 😳 Ho 😳
😳 Time to go sammy but don’t follow him go down n remember to ask M… to pull ‘Pek Mo’ with him bcoz too rich already ma 😳
You see,if you are managing a state just like managing your own company,there is no way you can step down unless your son can take over.This chap has to work till he die !
Let them continue. It will be good for PR
Actually, Mahathir should keep his mouth shut and not interfere in present day politics. He should go being respected rather to go down in Malaysian history as one of the least respected. He had done much harm to Malaysia, and he is vicious during his time of administration, seeing the likes of Razaleigh, Musa, Ghafar, Anwar, Abdullah and if Najib does not listen, Najib will be the next PM to fall. No, MM is not a hero to Malaysian politics, he must be responsible for the state of the country today, the corruption, the judiciary, the MACC, the Police… etc.… Read more »
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Agree with you. Mahathir should keep his … mouth shut up. His … only keep stirring up racial talk. Anyway Mugilan just does not have enough gas to get Samy out. He will need more gas from Muyiddin but then he does not realise that Muyiddin gas really stink so much…
I came across this article. Perharps this will explain why the two would not rock one another’s boat.
By the way, anyone who still thinks Mahatir is all pro-Malay must have his head examined; this man is all for himself and his family and his greed has no end; he will still slumber on and hope to gain whatever … he can get in his remaining twilight years.
Will the public excuse him?
EXPLOSIVE NEWS FROM SARAWAK
BAKUN DAM IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER WHITE ELEPHANT.