S Samy Vellu came to be MIC president in 1979. It is been 31 years. In almost every MIC president election cycle, Samy Vellu claims he is running because he has ‘unfinished tasks' to accomplish for the Indian people in Malaysia.

What kind of leader is 31 years in power and still has unfinished business for the Indian people? The answer? The kind of leader who puts his career in politics above others. In 31 years, Samy Vellu always claims that he represent the Indian people.

So in 31 years, what business did he finish for the Indian people. Let's start there. How many schemes did Samy Vellu sell as his plan for the well-being of the Indian community yet enriched only the few?

Samy Vellu has marketed himself and the MIC as the only genuine representative of the Indian community. In essence, he and his cronies have given the Indian community a false choice.

MIC is a political party in which membership is necessary. The president is elected by the members of MIC. It is a membership-based club. So in this club, Samy Vellu has created an environment in which he becomes the undisputed president. Samy Vellu is not answerable to the Indian community because as president all he has to do is make sure the members are kept in check.

He only has to control the MIC members. He does not have to control the general Indian population. Anyone that disagrees with the Samy Vellu in the club faces disciplinary action up to and including membership termination.

The Indian community should decide if MIC represents them in the politics of Malaysia. It is not MIC that decides it represents the Indian community in politics. When others start a political effort to represent Indian community, MIC always downplays this and marginalises them.

Samy Vellu is the reason why Indians lost ground in the last 31 years. After 31 years, the time has come for Indians to look for leadership elsewhere. There are many people outside the MIC that are more capable of leading a fight on behalf of the Indian communities.

Samy Vellu is not the only hope we have for our future. Samy Vellu may think he is but his time has passed. The only positive legacy Samy Vellu has is that he is the longest-serving MIC president.

The Indian community has to look past MIC. The reason is because what is left of the MIC leadership today is Samy Vellu. After Samy Vellu, what is left of the MIC leadership are only his handpicked cronies.

The time has come for MIC to be made irrelevant if it stays under the present leadership or lack of. A total house cleaning is needed as the present house is infested with too many rats. As the ship sinks, the rats will leave.

The only way Indians will have a permanent political solution to their socio-economic problem is to deny MIC the opportunity to represent them. The Indian movement has to start from the scratch and negotiate a better future for any coalition to take place.

Otherwise, all we will get is more of the same like Maika Holdings. Samy Vellu and his cronies represent the real unhealthy culture for the Indian majority.