Is it right to solely blame MIC for BN's failure in Malaysian politics? If this is the hypothesis then Umno, MCA and Gerakan and PPP too should be blamed for the dismal performance of BN in many of the past by-elections as well the March 8 general election.

If Umno blames the other component parties for BN's poor performance in elections, eventually, Umno will be left all alone in this coalition. By right, Umno should be more introspective and learn to discern the reasons collectively with all the component parties as to why BN has failed despondently.

Umno's scouting for new partners as a short-cut measure for political survival will not ensure the resurrection of BN into a sturdy political entity. New partners in politics are not time-tested and they may not have that many followers as purportedly claimed. We only hear through the media the voices of a few self-proclaimed leaders playing the rhetoric game to gain publicity. This does not truly reflect the support that they have at the grassroots' level. Fault finding and bickering among BN component parties will make them none the wiser.

Politics is a game of the shrewd-minded. Instead of taking collective responsibility, some Umno leaders are finding an easy way out of the calamity by putting the blame on component parties for BN's dismal performance in the elections. A case in point is S Samy Vellu, the leader of MIC.

Some Umno leaders, and the bias mediaed, are blaming Samy Vellu for not being popular among voters and for not bringing in the support of the Indians. But, some Umno leaders have forgotten that even Umno could not bring in the support of more than 50 percent of the Malay voters in the present political scenario in the country. It appears that with this picture Umno has to depend on Indian and Chinese votes to win elections in most electoral constituencies in the future. Likewise, MIC and MCA have to depend on voters from all other races to win elections, including the Malays.

Umno leaders should realise that Malay, Chinese and Indian votes are now split in favour of a two-party system in the country. There is this kind of awareness among Malaysians. This naturally bodes well for all Malaysians, except for those who want to remain in power irrespective of what the people want.

The only time MIC has failed Umno and the BN badly was in the March 8 general election last year, and of course the few by-elections following that. Umno and other component parties too have failed BN in these elections. In the 1999 general election when the support from the Malays was drably low for Umno, the Chinese and Indian votes helped BN retain two-third majority in the parliament.

Umno should not forget this and now ought to contemplate why BN is not more popular among Malaysians, instead of putting the blame squarely on MIC and Samy Vellu.