Finally, this is what we have been waiting for all this while. It took so long for him to realise that he is not wanted
On Samy: This 'may be' my last term
Nantha: I am a registered member of MIC Seri Kembangan division. My father was a registered member of MIC’s Tapah division. I am telling S Samy Vellu - leave now. You want us to tell you to go and you will go, right?
Well, GO now. Your time as MIC president has long expired. Indian Malaysians will be better off without you and your son (please don’t ever think of bringing him into Malaysian politics).
GO now.
Nithiyaavaani: Since when were the MIC doing their great job? If MIC did their grassroots work properly, there wouldn't be an organisation called Hindraf today. It’s all from their mistake.
If today the youngsters have guts to block Samy's car, it’s because they've been oppressed by this so-called party for Indians. MIC didn’t work for the Indians. It worked for their cronies.
MIC have their large network of thugs. This is common knowledge and well-known by the Indian community in Malaysia. Hindraf is a million times better than MIC because they are doing grassroots work - not like the MIC, sit in air-con room and give press statement.
K Jeevan: Samy, stop talking big. Can you prove us your record of what you have done for Indian community for the last 28 years of your leadership. Do you think after all your failures and lies towards the Indian community you will get the support from us? Don't even dream about it.
Maybe your MIC cronies will support you. We Makkal Sakthi will challenge you. You arrogantly stated that MIC will retain all its seats in the coming polls. If you lose some of the seats, will you have the guts to accept the defeat and step down? Perhaps the Indians made a mistake previously but they won’t repeat it. Samy Vellu, your time is over.
Sitha: 'If the Indian community decides that they don't want me...I'm prepared to go even now...I'm prepared.'Yes, finally this is what we have been waiting for all this while. It took so long for him to realise that he is not wanted. Please leave for the benefit of all.
Man in Red: Samy Vellu is still not being sincere. What's this ‘may be’ my last term? And the joke is he says he is prepared ‘to go even now’ if the Indian community doesn't want him. What else do he want the Indian community to say? To tell you that we don't want you anymore? He further claims that if he leaves the party immediately, the party will be is disarray. This is being cheeky.
Mr Samy, are you saying you are indispensable and the party cannot run without you? On the contrary , the party cannot run with you. The games over and you better admit that you are stale.
I'd like to quote your comment: ‘Politics is a performance. You must be seen doing things. You can be a very good man. You just get the seat, win the seat and after that don’t act (work) at all. (Then) it can be (just) one term.’
If the above statement is true, how come you were there so many terms? It is very obvious that Samy is trying his last shot. He is looking for sympathy votes by saying nice things (like ‘people don't hate me’) etc , hoping that the Indians will feel sorry and vote for him one more term.
Dear voters, please do not be misled anymore by such political gimmicks. If he stays a another term, he will do more irreparable damage. So please, please vote wisely.
Marion Tharsis : Pak Lah, We can give you the new mandate provided you can really assure us of change towards a more transparent, fair and trustworthy government. This should be the focus of BN besides giving confidence that the interests and requirements of all Malaysians will be well taken care of.
As the leader of BN, you are also duty-bound to ensure that candidates nominated by the component parties of BN are of good stature and character. All the leaders of the component parties have made way for the younger generation of leaders to take over - all except one. If you really care for the welfare and well-being of the Indian community, then you should see to it that this person is not nominated.
His forces within MIC are so strong that he can handle any challenge to his entrenched position but you can do it. You know what the current general feeling among Indians is. You are also responsible for all the component parties and their individual popularity also reflects upon your own popularity and leadership. We believe you will make the right choice.
Sheikh Rizal Housein: The ruling BN is certainly having a big headache with Samy Velu. He is becoming a burden to them. Fielding him again is a big gamble, he may win again at Sg Siput, but nevertheless, MIC is bound to lose most of the seats, and most likely the Indian will swing against BN this time, in other seats.
Privately, even those inside MIC know this but many does not have the guts to voice it out, as Samy Vellu has manifested a zamindar hiearchy in MIC. Today, there is no able replacement, the current deputy president is just put there to warm the seat. And the tussle to lead MIC is already there among other leaders as the power and perks they got over they years has made them crave for more. Most them hardly took care of the Indian community, often making themselves rich.
A responsible leader will always groom future leaders but Samy Vellu failed in this, and today MIC is having a crisis. Unless there is a complete list of fresh candidates who are really keen to work for the people, only then will the Indians will support MIC, otherwise it is heading towards dooms. The MIC Youth Leader is one who should be dropped for SA Vigneswaran has hardly performed and his background is questionable.
Palanisamy Sinnappan: Samy Vellu became MIC acting president in 1979 and then president from 1981. A total number of 28 years. The poor Indian Malaysian lifestyle in his product. Only one minister for the Indians in the cabinet for 28 years. Same person, same style same old ideas.
We all know that he runs the MIC without listening to anyone, even with his deputies. It is very clear that at 72, how is possible for him to change? Please change the MIC leadership. Give us a new leader
Barathi Tamil: Samy, time’s up for you. People are rejecting Samy. Yet he still ignores the indications and is continuing to campaign all the dumb and deaf MIC members. Look what happened to him in Penang. Look at how much the Indian community ‘respects’ him. This is what he has earned after 28 years of servicing MIC. Why has he groom people like Saravanan, Vikneswaran, Mohan? What is this? Do we need these kind of leaders?
Anantha Paskaran: What the leaders of Hindraf did is as monumental as what the freedom fighters of yesteryears did throughout history in fighting injustices and oppression. They risked everything they had; careers, families, their well-being and above all being incarcerated. The Hindraf leaders did this selfless act to address the marginalisation of the Indians since the inception of the New Economic Policy in 1970.
So S Samy Vellu, why don't you go while you have at least a shred of dignity rather than getting booted out. While you are at it, why don't you take all your goons and cronies with you and give the next generation a chance.
To say that you still need more time to lead the Indian Malaysian after leading them for 30 years clearly shows that you think there is no one who could do your job. Well, you thought wrong.
The MIC was there before you and it will be there after you. The leadership of the US, mind you the worlds biggest economy, changes every four to eight years and the country is still there. So to with the MIC.
S Selva: There are cases where angry Indian have vented their fury at Samy Vellu and some MIC leaders. MIC should know that they were not necessarily Hindraf members. Only MIC claims that they were Hindraf members. MIC purposely wanted to create problems when it said it was Hindraf members who had vented their fury.
MIC must know one thing and that is only Hindraf can do better work for the Indians. MIC has been working for the Indians only these last few months. Before that they were deaf to us. After Nov 25, the government tried to address the problems of the Indians. The job that Samy Vellu should have done overs o many years as president of the Indian community was done by Hindraf in single day only. MIC should be ashamed of this.
I personally think that MIC should dissolved to make way for Hindraf to represent the Indians.
Jesmine: Samy, we want you to leave. Please do us all (the Indian Community mainly) a favour and leave. We had enough of the ‘nothing’ from your leadership.
Casey Raj: The MIC had totally failed in uplifting the welfare of Indians who were predominantly from the plantations. If only Samy Velu had fought more fiercely in ensuring that the helpless Indian workers who were displaced as estates got turned into townships and golf courses were allotted Felday-type schemes. Indians were the original estate pioneers and would be more competent in crop cultivation etc.
It is the fault of Samy Velu who is also the son of estate workers. For toiling some 30 years in the estate, a worker gets only about RM5,000 (that is about RM167 per year of service) in retirement gratuity plus their meagre EPF savings. With no opportunities, they have been struggling all along with no assistance whatsoever.
Ram Jeev: I support this 100% and would like to see Samy Vellu to step down as MIC president. Samy has failed in his duty to uplift the Indian community over the last 30 years of being in MIC office. He has failed in various ways. For an example, the MIC is still using its old HQ in Jalan Ipoh which was built by the late Tan Sri Manickavasagam (with his own money). Samy promised a better MIC HQ but until now he unable to realise his own dream.
If so, how he is going to realise the Indian community’s dreams? He made fortune out of MIC. At the end of the day, the Indians suffer. I hope Samy will not to be nominated for the upcoming general election. He should leave with honour and not disgrace himself by being heckled by the Indians. Long live Hindraf!
R Venugopal: There have been frequent quarrels amongst the Indians and all these are the result fo the power struggle between Samy and Subra. It is time that we remove both the leaders who are the culprits and who should take total responsibility for the under-performance of MIC and the failure to fight for our rights. Therefore, I propose that both these leaders are barred from participating in the elections and should leave MIC now as they are the biggest troublemakers.
Rani: ‘If the Indian community decides that they don't want me...I'm prepared to go even now...I'm prepared’. Yes Mr Samy. We want you to go now, before the GE if possible. Don’t you hear what the Indians are saying by blocking you in Prai, Penang and your son in Pajam, Negeri Sembilan?
You want the Indian community to hand over a memo to you saying that we don’t want the sole rep of our community anymore? Or another street rally to prove that we don’t want you? Let us know what is the proper channel to voice out our dissatisfaction about you Mr Samy.
Rsere Manipato: Did anyone bother to ask how we should voice out our intentions that you (Samy) are no longer wanted? We can't speak up. The media is controlled and every single protest is deemed illegal. How do we get the message to you Samy Vellu?
Raja: Dear Samy, please go immediately, we don't need you anymore. Please save our youngers generations by doing this. Hindraf will be able to lead our Indian community in a peaceful manner.
Dhaya: I agree that Samy must go and stop all his political gimmicks. 95% of Indian Malaysians don’t accept his leadership. He said if the Indians don’t accept him, he will resign. This was on Nov 25 when more than 100,000 people protested to show that Samy has failed to do his duty.
In fact, he asked the Indians not to join that peaceful protest but was completely ignored. This clearly shows that we Indians don’t want him. Actually, he destroyed the MIC which was established by our forefathers. We want him to step down immediately.
Pi: No! No! Samy should not go. Where the Indian Malaysians are today is entirely due to Samy Vellu. He deserves full credit for it. He should stay and contest in Sg Siput. His presence is worth 20 seats to the Barisan Alternative.
Semi-Value : Samy should stay and suffer the indignity of defeat in Sungai Siput. Even hardcore BN voters will abandon him this time. This is the only way to wake him up from the his charade
On Cabinet's fiercest fighter - Samy
Mat Jelik: If the entire measurement for Samy V's worth in the cabinet was how much time he took to hold the rostrum in an effort to forward good policy for Indians, he would win awards hands down. Simply put, what is it has he done; what did he propose; what proposals received the positive nod of the government, etc? Effectiveness is the parameter for evaluation. In that regard, less may be more.
Samy is good at ramping up the emotion behind an effort, but enough is enough from BN. He is immeasurably rich from his ‘efforts’ to help Indians; far in excess of what he has done for his fellows. His bombastic tirades in the press and on TV are enough to show he is not really a leader; merely, the loudest stump speaker on the block. That quality judgements of ‘hard worker’, ‘most times at the meeting’, ‘most emotion’, ‘fearless’, etc. are not effective when measuring leadership quality. State the results, kind sir. That is what the Indian community wants to evaluate, not Samy's time before the microphone.
Add the columns, compare the sums to see if this appraisal is correct. Hindraf would not have been a glimmer in anyone's eyes had Samy been more effective in his position as a leader of the Indian community.
VJ: It is pretty ridiculous that the writer seems to act as the press secretary for the deputy prime minister(DPM). He seems to vocalise what was said by the deputy premier but failed to look deep into the statements. Let me help him.
Well, if the DPM agrees that Samy is indeed fighting in cabinet than why in the world the impact was not felt for 29 years? It seems the DPM agrees that the Indians’ sole representative was being marginalised in the cabinet for years.
In other words , the failure (Samy) and the root cause of failure (Unmo) should just admit their blatant mistake. Or did Samy’s 'fighting' spirit only emerge after the Hindraf rally on Nov 25? If that's the case, than Hindraf should be representing Indian Malaysians.
Politicians failed the people and so the people should fail them in their March 8 examination.
KSD: It’s disappointing to learn that seat talks between the opposition parties have collapsed in Sabah and Sarawak.
Every previous poll in every locality have shown that three way fights only benefits BN. The people of Malaysia have also clearly indicated in countless forums that they want straight fights.
I hope DAP will rise above party interests and put the interests of the rakyat first. Give up one or two parliamentary seats in these states from your position of strength and your standing will rise among ordinary Malaysians.
To all concerned parties, please do not disappoint people who have been waiting years for this opportunity.
On Do we possess the will to make change?
Winston: I have read, here and elsewhere, that many Malaysian voters are regretting that they have voted for the BN. I do not have any such regrets because from the first time I voted until now (I'm now in my mid sixties), I have not cast a single vote for the BN. The trouble is that Malaysians are a strange breed. Even when the misdeeds of the former PM were evident, many still voted blindly for him, saying that he is the father of modern Malaysia.
If having spanking new multi-storey buildings or beautiful highways is a mark of a great country or PM, Malaysians are sadly mistaken. The simple reason is that anyone can achieve such status. This is because businessmen, either local or foreign, who contribute to such infrastructure, do so for self-profit. In fact, you don't even have to invite them to do it. They'll do it when they see the profits from such projects!
So, what's so great about such things? A truly successful country should be judged not by its infrastructure but by have well its citizens are treated. So, wake up compatriots and show the BN the boot.
Jasz: There are a lot of comments that the Malay vote will be the deciding factor in the polls but the fact is it is the Chinese vote that always has been, and will be, the deciding factor once again. The majority of Chinese will never fail to vote for BN as their greater concern is business opportunities and secondly the bitter experience of 1969.
On Pak Lah encouraging Hindraf support
Mohd Yin Adam: The PM doesn't care about the rakyat . He relies on the RC which he thinks can make him and the BN win the 12 th GE. That is why he extended Rashid’s term for another as Rashid knows all the tactics.
The PM’s slogan Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang now becomes Temberang (lies, foolishness) Lintang Pukang (all directions, indecisive). The PM spoon-feeds the EC tear-gas and chemically -laced water to water-cannon the rakyat with. Roses and children mean nothing to him. Wake up rakyat , teach him a lesson in this coming GE. Hidup rakyat . Hidup BA.
On Finally, a chance to wrest Penang
Birdseye: I’m not sure what motivates the writer to suggest that it is not a bad idea for the opposition to give the current BN administration a good run for its money by contesting only the Penang state assembly seats and give up all the parliamentary seats without a fight. To be fair he uses words like ‘guts’ and ‘gamble’ but he does not exactly say why he believes his call is a good bet, especially after he proudly proclaims that: ‘Whether we like it or not, the BN will still win the general elections, hands down. And so it should. Save for the past decade, in which they have led the country astray, the Barison Nasional is still the best to govern Malaysia today’.
If what he says is true, why would Penangites vote for second-best at state level? Does the state legislature have more sway than the federal government when it comes to matters concerning, say, allocation of development expenditure? By the way, what harm is there if the opposition leaves the names of its candidates on the ballot papers in the hope that many ‘stupid’ Penang people may just put a cross against them?
Perhaps not everyone knows that headlines for letters to Malaysiakini are written by their editors. I certainly did not know that Journalism 101 also teaches them that is cool to have meaningless or misleading headlines in relation to the contents of the letter. Or perhaps it was a ploy by Malaysiakini to draw readers to this article in the hope that many people will just read the headline.
