Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has alleged that those responsible for vandalising its service centre in Sungai Siput, Perak last Saturday were linked to MIC.

Pro tem

central committee member Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj said the vandalism was not an isolated case.

Despite several attempts, MIC president S Samy Vellu ( photo ) could not be reached for comment yesterday. A MIC Youth official questioned the basis of the allegation when contacted by malaysiakini .

Invisible hand?

Jeyakumar, the Sungai Siput branch chairperson, had contested against Samy in the constituency that is the latter's stronghold, during the 1999 general election.

"Although I was defeated, we (PSM) have continued our work at the grassroots and to serve the people. MIC is not able to do the same," he said when contacted Tuesday.

"They see the support from the people for us and they are getting desperate now.".

In the 3pm incident last Saturday, the service centre's electricity meter, signboard and the party flag were destroyed. Nobody was in the premises at the time as the centre starts operations from 7pm o­nwards.

Jeyakumar said witnesses had told him that two local youths with ties to the MIC branch in the area were behind the incident.

"This happened in daylight. Who would be so brave to do something above the law? There must be someone backing them," he said, adding that he had lodged a police report.

"I urge the police to act impartially and initiate an investigation immediately," he said.

Previous incidents

Jeyakumar said he has not received any feedback from the police regarding reports which he had lodged in the past.

He alleged that, in 1999, four days after the general election, thugs had come to the service centre and warned him not to contest against the MIC president.

He claimed that the thugs had said, "If you still contest against Samy Vellu, we will chop you."

Recalling another incident in October 2000, he said 15 thugs attempted to disrupt an Election Court hearing o­n complaints lodged by PSM about the 1999 election results for Sungai Siput.

During the Labour Day celebration in 2001, thugs smashed the windscreens of cars belonging to PSM members and supporters, set fire to a bus tyre and disrupted the show towards the end, he added.

"On several other occasions, similar actions were carried out by thugs, and we found out that they (the thugs) were in the escort team during the MIC chief's past few visits here," he alleged.

PSM pro tem secretary S Arutchelvan also urged the police to probe the latest and past incidents.

"This is not the first time, this is not new, but just the latest o­ne," he said when contacted.

'Right direction

'

Asked if the latest incident was to exert pressure o­n him not to stand in the coming general election, Jeyakumar said he could not confirm this, but vowed that he would definitely contest.

"All the tension and restlessness portrayed by MIC in Sungai Siput is further proof that PSM is heading at the right direction. PSM will not allow this small incident to disrupt the party's intention to capture our first Parliament seat," he said.

In1999, Samy defeated Jeyakumar - who had stood o­n a DAP ticket then - with 5,259 votes in a three-cornered fight.

The MIC president garnered 17,480 votes while Jeyakumar obtained 12,221 votes. Another candidate from the Malaysian Democratic Party (MDP) Mohamad Asri Othman obtained 565 votes.

Not fair

When contacted yesterday, MIC Youth chief SA Vigneswaran said the matter should not be raised in the media as it was still under police investigation.

"This is conflict of interest and it is not fair to raise it before the police can get any concrete proof to say the culprits are MIC members," he said.

The Youth chief also accused PSM of playing victim to garner publicity for the party.

"This is their publicity (stunt), trying to go and get sympathy from the people. Today (if) I burn down my service centre and say this was done my political opponents - would that be fair?" he asked.

The Sungai Siput district police headquarters confirmed receipt of the report but refused to comment further.