After years of tacit tension, MIC president S Samy Vellu has finally exploded.

The veteran politician launched, what observers term, as his most volatile attack against his estranged deputy S Subramaniam in nearly two decades.

The 70-year-old works minister fired a volley of accusations ranging from 'backstabbing' to 'subversive activities'.

Speaking to reporters in Sarawak yesterday, Samy Vellu said Subramaniam's game was up and it was now time for him to start his game.

He also challenged his deputy to contest against him and offered to hold the presidential elections, which he won uncontested, again.

"I firmly believe he (Subramaniam) had a hand in everything. So it is time to see either it is you (Subramaniam) or me. You want to take the MIC through the back door, I will not allow it... you want to contest against me I will allow you to challenge me.

"I don't mind calling for a (presidential) election again for you to contest (against) me but don't do this sort of nasty job," he was quoted as saying by Bernama .

Attacked 'left and right'

Samy Vellu said in the last 25 years that he had been president, he had taken all the 'beatings' suffered from 'subserve activities' and was attacked 'left and right' but he had remained patient.

"They tried to prove I am a man not worth to be president, you (Subramaniam) had your game, now I will play mine.

"It is time for the MIC delegates to think whether they wanted these subversive elements to continue in the party," he added.

It is common knowledge that ties between the president and his deputy have been strained for a long time. The fissure widened this year when Samy Vellu openly endorsed current vice-president G Palanivel for the number two post.

However, Samy Vellu's remarks yesterday were considered the harshest against Subramaniam since 1990 when the latter challenged him for presidency and lost by a narrow margin.

The latest outburst followed a controversial report in two Tamil dailies Makkal Osai and Malaysia Nanban that Samy Vellu had allegedly criticised former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for not doing anything for the Indian community.

The reports alleged that the MIC president made the remarks at the Johor MIC convention on Tuesday following a question from a delegate on why Indians failed to achieve the three percent share equity under the Eighth Malaysia Plan.

Samy Vellu, who denied this, accused the dailies of distorting his statements . The dailies have refuted this and told malaysiakini on Thursday that they have recordings of the statements.

On the same day, Samy Vellu told malaysiakini that his deputy could be responsible for the controversy as the two dailies are allegedly aligned to the latter.

The next day, Subramaniam, in a statement to malaysiakini, dismissed this charge.

'Show me the records'

Commenting on the reports yesterday, Samy Vellu said: "I explained to the delegates that while Mahathir had assisted the Indian community in various means and ways, we had not yet achieved the set target under the previous Malaysian plan. I said on the increase in share equity we had not achieved the target... I said " nehi " ('No' in Hindi)... that is all I said.

"But the next day, the two papers which were close to Subramaniam reported that I said Mahathir had not done anything for the Indian community during his tenure as prime minister... this action was to kill me from the back.

"I also know of a MIC leader who tried to call Mahathir (on Wednesday after the news reports were published) who was in Turkey at that time but thank God I had already called Mahathir to explain that was not what I said. I told him he did a lot for the community during his tenure as prime minister," he added.

The MIC supremo said he was not irresponsible or lacked gratitude to accuse Mahathir of not doing anything for the community.

Samy Vellu said he had instructed his lawyers to file for legal action against the two Tamil newspapers.

As for their claims to have recordings of the statements, he added: "Where are the records... play it. When I did not utter those words how are you going to show records. If someone acts like me then it is a different matter."