Makkal Sakthi party to stay out of Penanti duel

The newest Indian-based political party in town will steer clear of the upcoming by-election for the Penanti state seat in Penang.

Although he did not provide a direct answer, Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP) leader RS Thanenthirran said he would prefer to concentrate his efforts on building the fledgling party first.

He also echoed a similar stand when quizzed on the political impasse in Perak.

"We are yet to crawl so don't ask us to run. Let the major parties handle those issues," he said.

The Penanti by-election will take place on May 31, but it is expected to be a tame affair since BN has decided not to contest, leaving Pakatan Rakyat candidate Mansor Othman to possibly take on several Independents.

Meanwhile, Thanenthirran said MMSP was not established to rival any particular political or social groupings such as MIC or the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

He stressed that MMSP was formed solely for the betterment of the Indian Malaysian community, which had been perceived as a marginalised ethnic group in the country.

"MMSP is not here to compete or fight anyone or any groups. We are to work with anyone to improve the living conditions and standard of the Indian community," he told Malaysiakini.

Last Tuesday, Thanenthirran announced the emergence of MMSP, which was formed by a breakaway group from Hindraf, the most popular Indian-based human rights movement in the country.

Thanenthirran, a former Hindraf national coordinator, said MMSP was established because his former Hindraf colleagues needed a legal platform to champion the Indian cause.

Last October, Putrajaya outlawed Hindraf following a series of run-ins between the movement and the authorities.

Prepared to work with anyone

Although Thanenthirran denied that MMSP had links with Barisan Nasional, critics have raised suspicion that BN, particularly MIC, was behind the formation of MMSP due to the speedy registration process of the new party.

Registering a new political party can be difficult in Malaysia - the Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) was only recently approved after a decade-long struggle

Some observers cautioned that MMSP was formed to break up Hindraf, which was among the major reasons for BN's unprecedented electoral reverses in last year’s general election.

However, Thanenthirran vehemently refuted such claims, and said his party was single-handedly focused on improving the living standards of Indians, most whom languishing in the lower income bracket.

He reiterated that his party would stand independent and work closely with any group with a similar agenda.

"We have a big agenda for the Indians and would not compromise on it. We do not want to make promises. People shall judge us after we have delivered," he said.

After an initial reservation on his party's growth, Thanenthirran said he now had a good feeling that MMSP would become a popular political vehicle among Indians.

"Many Indians, including former Hindraf supporters, have expressed support for us. We are confident MMSP would grow into a major political party soon," he said.

However, some observers believe MMSP was doomed from the start because it had delved into partisan and sectarian politics with an inclination towards BN.

Unlike Hindraf, a human rights movement, they argued that MMSP cannot expect favours and support from all political and ethnic groups in the country.

They said MMSP cannot forever claim to be a neutral political party championing the Hindraf cause based on the movement’s 18-point manifesto.

Instead, they said MMSP must soon come up with its own partisan political charter.