In what is becoming a horse race of high stakes, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak could be making a political blunder by wagering on the youngest Indian stud in town, the Malaysian Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP).

Although he did not mention this outright, MIC president S Samy Vellu showed little confidence that the fledgling party would be able to lure the community back to Barisan Nasional.

samy vellu exclusive on tamil schools 080708 06 The veteran politician also does not see MMSP as a threat to MIC and dismissed the party born in the aftermath of the Hindraf protest as nothing more than a "temporary hurdle."

However, Samy Vellu conceded that MIC was "surprised" that Najib decided to officiate the launching of a non-BN party.

"We raised this issue yesterday (during the cabinet committee meeting on Indian affairs) and he (the premier) said 'If they could bring in the Indian votes, why shouldn't I go?'

"After that, we did not ask him anything further (on this matter). He (Najib) is convinced that the party would be a great force," the MIC president told Malaysiakini after chairing the party's central working committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

The launching of MMSP would take place on Oct 10, a day before the Bagan Pinang by-election in Negri Sembilan where Indians constitute 20 percent of the voters.

As for MMSP, Samy Vellu said he has seen the formation of numerous parties in the past, suggesting that they lacked the ability to survive as long as MIC.

"Everybody has claimed that they have 600,000 and 700,000 members. But MIC knows for sure that we hold 600,000 members.

"For MMSP and its president (RS Thanenthiran)... the people have an opinion (about them). They would decide. We (MIC) do politics for the people, not for ourselves," he said.

'Organised campaign against me'

Samy Vellu also lashed out at those who were plotting to force him out.

Returned unopposed for a record 11th term in May, the 74-year-old MIC president stressed that he has been in the game long enough to know a rat when he smells one.

"These two weeks, there has been an organised campaign to frustrate me, to make me run. I have been in politics for 45 years and I have seen many storms. I know who is behind all this," he said.

Samy Vellu was responding to a Malaysiakini report on Sunday which quoted MIC insiders accusing Umno of hatching a conspiracy to undermine the party and its president as well as to split the Indian community.

Referring to Utusan Malaysia 's front-page report that appeared a day before the Sept 12 MIC elections, Samy Vellu said the entire episode was staged.

The report by the Umno-owned Malay daily featured the comments of three political analysts under the headline ' Samy perlu berundur ' (Samy must go).

"I know who rang up the professors (quoted in the report) telling them to say those things," he said.

Previously, its was rumoured that the daily ran the article on instructions from the Prime Minister's Department in an attempt to sway votes in the MIC elections.

rosmah and najib bakti event 070709 03 However, it had little impact as the president's men made an almost clean sweep at the polls, even despite Najib stressing in his opening speech at the MIC meet that change should be embraced.

Samy Vellu also reiterated that nobody should interfere or tell MIC how it should conduct its business.

"We understand the community. There are those who tell lies but we believe in God and truth," he said.

As for his retirement plans, he said: "I have decided that I have to put my party in order and I have to bring back the Indians into the (BN) fold."

"The Indians have seen other meadows to graze on, it would be a difficult task (bringing them back to BN) to do straightway," he added.

However, Samy Vellu said this would not stop MIC from going all out to win back the hearts and minds of the community.

He said the party would organise a series of meetings to convince the Indians that "keeping away from BN would not do them any good."