Rubbish Rebranding in MIC
DESPITE all the talk about rebranding the Malaysian Indian Congress’ (MIC), the new line-up for the Central Working Committee saw little changes.
Many of the committee members were re-elected, as the party saw no changes right from the top. Klang MIC deputy chief M. Karunanidhi, when asked to comment, was clearly irked and disappointed with those who have been appointed by party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu. “We talk about re-branding but at the end of the day we see the same faces at the helm. This is not re-branding. This is rubbish. Even those who lost in the March 8 elections have been appointed into the Central Working Committee. This is ridiculous. The delegates should have been more mature when selecting who they want at the party’s frontline,” said the Teluk Gadong Kecil branch chairman.
“I believe they (the delegates) were wrongly motivated by certain quarters into making the wrong decision. Some folk only want ‘yes men’ in the Central Working Committee,” Karunanidhi asserted. The party veteran said the party will lose the support of the Indian community if the re-branding is not done properly.
“What we have learnt is that the Indian community wants changes at the top, which means it is about time Samy Vellu made way for the next generation of leaders. Datuk G. Palanivel has been groomed by Samy Vellu for more than 15 years.He has been a deputy minister for two terms and he knows the ropes,”
“I find it hard to believe that the former Works Minister still does not have faith in his own protégé. With changes, I am sure that Barisan Nasional will regain the support of the Indian community,” Karunanidhi said.
However, it is not all sour for the branch chairman. He said he is happy with the appointment of S. Murugesan as the secretary-general of the party. He was also pleased with the work that has been done by Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk S. Saravanan.
“Today’s MIC needs a different breed of leaders. We have many young professionals and successful Indian businessmen out there that are staying away from politics for obvious reasons. We need to bring them in. The party is in need of some fresh faces,” he explained. When asked about the defeat of deputy president hopeful Datuk S. Subramaniam, Karunanidhi said: “The delegates should have compared Koperasi Nesa Pelbagai Berhad (NESA), run by Subramaniam and Maika Holdings. That would have given them a clearer picture. One is paying dividends as promised and another is in shambles.
