Samy’s exit sparks Subra-Palani rivalry

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has only just announced he is stepping down next year, but the fight to take the lead and become party spokesman has already started between deputy president and successor Datuk G. Palanivel and senior vice-president Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

While Dr Subramaniam and his supporters like vice-president Datuk S. K. Devamani and Datuk S. Saravanan lament Samy Vellu’s impending departure as a big loss for the party and the Indian community, Palanivel has maintained a stony silence.

Dr Subramaniam openly wants Samy Vellu to be MIC adviser, but Palanivel says ominously that the “matter has to be discussed”.

Palanivel has done little to step into the vacuum Samy Vellu’s announcement has created, but Dr Subramaniam — the party’s only Cabinet member — has led the closing of ranks and preparation for the next general elections.

By keeping Samy Vellu as adviser, he placates many of his supporters.

Dr Subramaniam is also getting considerable limelight as Human Resources Minister and chairman of the Special Implementation Task Force for Indians, the implementation arm of the Task Force for Indians co-chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The other chair is Westports CEC Tan Sri G. Gnanalingam.

The Special Implementation Task Force is going around the country giving Indians direct access to government departments and agencies like the National Registration, Social Welfare and Skills Development departments, Socso and Tekun Nasional.

They have registered several thousand people in need of help in Ijok, Kulim, Sepang and other areas in a bid to win back Indian support for the Barisan Nasional.

How well the Task Force delivers on their promises will go a long way to shore up Dr Subramaniam’s position in the MIC and BN’s status among Indians.

There is deep frustration among needy Indians that delivery is slow and probably would never go beyond the rhetoric.

The other matter that is fuelling the Palanivel-Subramaniam rivalry is that although Dr Subramaniam is vice-president he is a full minister while Palanivel is deputy president and soon to be acting president but is only a deputy minister.

Pressure is mounting on Dr Subramaniam to switch portfolio with Palanivel and be relegated to deputy minister to reflect the MC hierarchy but there is stiff resistance to the idea from Dr Subramaniam supporters.

Dr Subramaniam addressed the matter by urging the government to give two ministers posts to the MIC to allow Palanivel to also be become minister.

A Dr Subramaniam supporter said he should remain a minister because he is more popular in the MIC and the Indian community, gong by the fact that he won in the 2008 general election whereas Palanivel lost along with Samy Vellu and a dozen other MIC leaders.

“Success should be rewarded. Becoming senator and minister and MIC president after losing in 2008 does not go down well with the people,” the Subramaniam supporter said.

It is left to Najib how he wants to resolve this status issue but giving MIC two ministers posts would cement his status as a fair and good leader to the Indians but he would court anger from his Malay supporters who are already smarting that Samy Vellu is being “accommodated” to retire instead of just given the marching orders.



comments

Anyone notice how Najib, after cutting his cabinet when he got into office, is repeating the same thing that Badawi and Mahathir did by expanding the cabinet again? Its the same thing with the budget.. Any program that require sustained discipline, always end up as hot air with UMNO/BN

When MIC has become Irrelevent what difference does it make ; let them stab each others back!!

insignificant and irrelevant party.hope the infighting will end this corrupt MIC.MACC should mow do their work to bring some of this big culprits to court and freeze their assets.these CROOKS have stolen millions from the community.they have never helped unite the INDIANS but have always kept us divided.Many of the social problems like drinking'poverty cannot only be blamed on the govt but this $$$ sucking MIC leeches.