Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to focus on rebuilding party

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said he would now devote his time towards rebuilding the party and reuniting the Indian community.

He called on the Indians to set aside their differences.

“Nothing is too little, too late. We can always start afresh and look towards a new beginning,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Samy Vellu said that although the morale of some members was deflated after the stunning defeat of many of the party’s candidates, he stressed that the 62-year-old MIC was still intact.

“I am confident the party will regain the confidence of the Indian voters. We need to rebuild the party and bring in young people who will take over the leadership,” he said.

The MIC contested nine parliamentary and 19 state seats in the March 8 polls but won in only three parliamentary seats and seven state seats.

It was the party's worst performance.

Samy Vellu urged party leaders at the grassroots to remain united and carry on with their work.

He said the MIC hoped to recruit at least 300,000 members from the younger generation. The MIC currently has a membership of 630,000 people with 3,700 branches.

“Towards this end, the Youth, Putera and Puteri wings will be strengthened,” said Samy Vellu.

He said many of the younger generation had voted for the Opposition in the last general election for various reasons.

He said the MIC would conduct a post-mortem on the performance of its candidates and the voting trends among the Indians.

Abdullah sworn in as PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was sworn in Monday as the prime minister before the Yang diPertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, following the victory of the Barisan Nasional (BN) in Saturday's general election.

Abdullah took the oath of office and oath of secrecy at the ceremony which was held at the Balairong Seri of the Istana Negara here at 11.10am after he was presented the instrument of appointment.

Abdullah, 68, assumes the office of prime minister for a second term.

The Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku Nur Zahirah, was also present at the ceremony.

Abdullah arrived at the Balairong Seri at 11am, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as well as other VIPs were present at the event.

Among the VIPs were former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad and several new members of parliament (MPs).

At the ceremony, which took about 20 minutes, Abdullah signed the instrument of appointment before Chief Justice Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamad, which was witnessed by the Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.

Barisan won 140 of the 222 parliamentary seats in Saturday's general election, enabling it to garner a simple majority and form the government.

Abdullah retained his Kepala Batas seat in Penang by defeating Subri Md Arshad of PAS with a majority of 11,246 votes.

Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to stay on as MIC chief

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who crashed to a shock defeat in the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat, will continue as the MIC president and restructure and rebuild the party.

In a statement, he said he was not feeling unhappy but reminded the MIC members that they were in a very challenging period.

"Every good thing has to come to an end but there is always a new beginning" - DATUK SERI S. SAMY VELLU

“We have to move in the direction where the wind is blowing and we hope a day will come when the new wave will be with us,” he said.

Samy Vellu, who had been the Sungai Siput MP since 1974, lost to PKR's Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj by 1,821 votes.

He thanked the people of Sungai Siput for supporting him in the last eight elections since 1974.

“I am very grateful for being given the opportunity to serve this constituency and I believe I have done whatever possible to make the people of Sungai Siput happy.

“But times have changed and every good thing has to come to an end but there is always a new beginning,” he said.

Meanwhile secretary-general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, who was one of three MIC leaders to have retained their parliamentary seats, said the MIC has to take cognisance of the results and the fact that the majority of the Indian community did not support the party in the elections.

“This is the first time we have suffered such a loss,” he said.

Dr Subramaniam, who retained the Segamat parliamentary seat, said that the next four years would be challenging to rebuild the confidence and to instil in the people the relevance of the MIC to the Indian community.

He said Samy Vellu was the president of MIC and should continue dictating the direction of the party.

MIC information chief Datuk M. Saravanan, who won the Tapah parliamentary seat, said it was normal for parties to win or lose seats in elections.

“Even Keadilan lost in many seats in the last general election but this time, it made some gains. Winning or losing is not all that the game is about but more about serving the people,” he said.

Saravanan, who is also Federal Territory MIC chief, said this was the best time to prove that “we are here not for position or power but merely to serve the people”.

Election 2008: Barisan Nasional holds on to seven states

KUALA LUMPUR: It was a day of shocks for Barisan Nasional as some of its big guns tumbled in the general election.

Though it had managed to secure a simple majority in parliament, the loose opposition alliance of the DAP, Pas and PKR managed to take control of Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Perak and retained Kelantan comfortably.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, Gerakan acting president and outgoing Penang chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Wanita Umno deputy head Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil were among the main casualties for BN.

Samy Vellu lost the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat on his 72nd birthday, which virtually ended a long and colourful career in politics spanning more than 30 years.

Koh, who moved from a state seat to contest the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat, lost to DAP newcomer P. Ramasamy, while Shahrizat was also beaten by a newcomer, Nurul Izzah Anwar of PKR, in Lembah Pantai.
The tide against BN also saw the ruling coalition losing its two-thirds majority in parliament and suffering casualties in Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin, Umno treasurer Datuk Seri Mohd Azim Zabidi, and deputy ministers Datuk M. Kayveas (Prime Minister's Department) and Datuk Tan Chai Ho (Home Affairs).

However, the BN retained control of other states, although it saw some of its margins shaved from the previous election in 2004.

It reigned supreme in Johor, Sabah, Sarawak, Pahang, Malacca, Terengganu, Perlis and won Negri Sembilan by a simple majority.

But the sensation was in the unexpected defeats that took a huge toll on Umno's main partners in the BN, namely the MCA, MIC and Gerakan.

MCA, which already did not have its deputy president Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek in its lineup, was further crippled with the defeat of Tan, central committee member Datuk Fu Ah Kiow, deputy Wanita chief Datuk Chew Mei Fun and vice-president Datuk Donald Lim.

As for Gerakan, of the 12 parliamentary seats it contested, it lost 10 and won only in Gerik and Simpang Renggam. It also lost 26 of the 31 state seats it vied for.

Apart from Samy Vellu, all of the other top leaders in the MIC were also ousted - deputy president Datuk G Palanivel in Hulu Selangor, vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan in Teluk Kemang, Youth chief S.A. Vigneswaran in Kota Raja and Wanita chief P. Komala Devi in Kapar.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi retained his seat in Kepala Batas as did his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Pekan.

They and other top BN leaders monitored the results from the BN's headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre.

The results and the upsets in many places put paid to opposition claims that the election process lacked transparency and that the Election Commission was biased towards the ruling coalition.

The results in Penang were stunning as it was the first time in 39 years that the opposition has managed to take over the state.

Koh, who was chief minister for 18 years, had an audience with the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Rahman Abbas shortly before 9pm to concede defeat.

In 1969, Gerakan, which was then a newly formed opposition party, captured the state government, winning 16 of the 24 state seats, with Dr Lim Chong Eu as chief minister.

Up against the challenges of running an opposition state government and the political realities of the day, the party formed a coalition government two years later and shortly after, it joined the ruling federal coalition in an expanded Barisan Nasional.

Muhyiddin: Anwar has tarnished Malaysia’s good name

MUAR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has turned traitor when he spoke to foreign media in Singapore to tarnish the good name of Malaysia.

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said it was not the first time Anwar had tarnished the image of the country and regarded his accusation that the election would be rigged as “desperate”.

He said Anwar himself used to contest in general elections under the BN ticket and was appointed a Cabinet minister and Deputy Prime Minister before he formed PKR.

“Now he is singing a different tune and I regard his statement to the foreign media in Singapore on Wednesday as an act of a traitor.

“If Malaysian general elections were rigged, he should have raised the matter a long time ago when he was a Cabinet minister,” he said after closing an agro-related seminar near Bukit Pasir yesterday.

Tajol Rosli likened the love for one’s country to the relationship between and a man and his wife.

“We love our country like we love our wife. If we quarrel, we will quarrel at home and not outside the house. We leave our domestic quarrels at home,” he said.

In KUALA LUMPUR, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said Anwar has insulted Malaysians by using another country as a platform to run down the government.

He said Anwar who was then the Education Minister made a lot of decisions, which were detrimental to the growth of Chinese education.

“During his tenure, Anwar sent headmasters who were not well versed in Mandarin and Chinese language to run Chinese schools.

“There was not a single new Chinese school nor relocation of schools to urban areas,” he said.

ELECTION 2008: Be cautious, PM tells Chinese, Indian voters

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (centre) looking at a replica of the RM110 million project to upgrade the Penang Hospital's heart and surgical centre in George Town yesterday. At left is Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

GEORGE TOWN: If people vote out the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) tomorrow, then their communities will no longer have a voice or representation in government, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi cautioned yesterday.

The Chinese and Indian voters have to decide whether they want a louder voice in parliament, by voting in the DAP, or a bigger role in government by voting in the MCA and MIC, he said.

"It is your choice," he said to voters, "but I hope the people think carefully".

"I hope the time does not come when we don't have the MCA or MIC (in government) any more."

Abdullah was asked to comment on a possible scenario should there be a repeat of the 1990 general election when Chinese votes swung heavily to the DAP, reducing the number of MCA representatives in government.
Abdullah said it would not be in the country's interest if the new cabinet was short of representation from other BN component parties owing to their poor electoral performance.

"I do not want to form a government that is made up of only one race. I want representation from the Malays, Chinese and Indians and other ethnic groups.

"I hope the status quo is maintained in the interests of all."

Asked about comments by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the country needed an opposition that could hold up a mirror to the government, Abdullah said: "We have always had an opposition in this country. That is not an issue."

He voiced confidence that the BN would win the election, including in states like Kelantan and Penang.

On former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's smear attacks on the government, Abdullah said it was typical of Anwar to resort to such behaviour.

He said Anwar, when in government, used to condemn the opposition for the same things he was doing now.

"Now, he is going overseas and telling the foreign media all sorts of lies to make the country look bad."

Asked if the government would increase the price of fuel this year, Abdullah said the situation would be monitored and the government would continue to ensure that the prices of goods did not burden the people.

Abdullah was speaking after officiating at a RM110 million project to upgrade the Penang Hospital's heart and surgical centre.

The project which comes under the Ninth Malaysia Plan is expected to be completed in a year.

Among others, the centre is meant to serve as a northern equivalent to the Kuala Lumpur-based Institut Jantung Negara.

Vote MIC, Indians told

KUALA LUMPUR: Indian voters have been urged not to allow emotions to rule their minds in Saturday’s general election.

“Denying votes for MIC candidates in the elections would only be denying the community a voice at the state executive councils and Cabinet level,” MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said in a statement here yesterday.

Samy Vellu said they would be preventing the problems of the Indian community from being brought to the attention of the relevant authorities to resolve them.

“I urge the Indian community to evaluate MIC’s performance in the Government. As human beings, we also have our weaknesses which can be overcome, and necessary measures will be taken to rectify them,” he said.

“The future of the Indian community is in the Indian electorate's hands. Please give your strong support to the MIC candidates,” he said.

Samy Vellu, who is contesting in the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat, said he was satisfied with the support and cooperation shown by the Indian electorate since campaigning started on Feb 24.

“I have obtained feedback from the other eight parliamentary and 19 state seats, and the response has been very encouraging. The candidates said the majority of the Indians were supporting Barisan,” he said.

“They (the community) want to assist MIC by giving their votes to Barisan. They realise that although there were rumblings on their socio-economic status, they accepted the reality that only Barisan could ensure their future,” he said.

Samy Vellu said that two MIC seats – Lunas in Kedah and Prai in Penang – termed as “hot seats” can be won by Barisan, as the two candidates had worked hard to win over the hearts and minds of their voters, especially the Indian voters.