HE has been jeered at, threatened with stones, had his car blocked and even had to cancel rallies for security reasons.
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| Datuk Seri Samy Vellu took time out from campaigning to have coffee with The New Paper reporter. |
But in his backyard of Sungei Siput, where he has been Member of Parliament since 1974, Datuk Seri Samy Vellu is still king.
His posters are all over town, and he is greeted like royalty wherever he goes, by all accounts.
So it came as a surprise to this reporter, while chasing for an interview with DatukSamy Vellu at a coffee shop in his stronghold, that a man came up unannounced to vent his feelings against the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) leader.
Noticing my notebook and camera, Mr S Ponnudurai, 45, approached my table and asked if I was a reporter.
And once he heard that I was, the venting began.
'Last time, (I gave) 100 per cent support to Barisan Nasional (in which the MIC is a coalition party). Now, I am upset with the petrol price increases and demolished temples,' said the father of four.
The businessman went on to pledge his support for recent protests by the Hindu Action Rights Force (Hindraf), and started complaining about the lack of educational opportunities and amenities for Indians.
Just then, another coffee shop patron, an Indian man who had probably overheard the rather loud conversation, started shouting: 'The Minister has done a lot for the community, he has!'
Wanting to be fair, I asked the stranger if he could cite some examples. But the unidentified man, clearly upset with Mr Ponnudurai's comments, went back to eating his roti canai (roti prata) without acknowledging my questions.
Nothing further was said by either party, and the palpable anger in the room diffused.
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| In his Sungai Siput stronghold, the Malaysian Works Minister remains as popular as ever. He is greeted by members of the community with enthusiasm when he makes his rounds. |
A few hours later, in an exclusive interview with Datuk Samy Vellu, I asked him about the obvious tension in the Indian community, but not before being reminded of life's priorities.
'Drink the coffee first, then we talk. It won't be nice if it gets cold,' he said, after buying me coffee and kaya toast at his favourite eatery, Kedai Teratai.
Once that was done, he was prepared to get down to business.
So, Datuk Samy Vellu, how do you answer your critics like Mr Ponnudurai? Is the Indian community in trouble?
'I don't think it (the Indian community) is backward (by) 50 years. There is 30 per cent poverty faced by the Malays and Indians, and the Chinese population is at 12 per cent.
'But if you compare with the Chinese community, they are self-motivated and hardworking. The Indians are hardworking too, but somebody has to guide them.'
The Malays are getting guidance from the government, he said.
But why are the Indians so far behind in economic terms?
Hindraf and Malaysian opposition politicians have painted a very negative picture of the status of Indians in Malaysia, pointing out that they own less than 2 per cent of the economy, despite forming 8 per cent of the population.
But Datuk Samy Vellu, who is also Works Minister, believes that such statistics are working against the psyche of the average Malaysian Indian.
'If you tell a man he is having cancer, you really kill him, because psychologically, he feels he hasn't got much of a chance,' he said.
He added that his opponents have been throwing 'bombs' at people, telling them that they are 'sick' and cannot achieve anything.
On Sunday, in a heated press conference, the MIC leader had released his own statistics, showing what the BN government had done for the Indian community.
He said almost RM100 million ($43.5m) had been allocated to rebuild Tamil schools, as well as RM1m annually for the building of temples. He also cited examples of how Indian youths are getting many opportunities in institutes of higher education in Malaysia.
Calling the Malaysian opposition 'the greatest liars', he challenged them to produce their own solutions to help Indians find better jobs and improve their lot.
Why did he react so angrily?
'I feel very sad when someone insists that they are a beggar.
'I have, all the while, represented the community. I have fought so many battles in the cabinet,' he said, forcefully.
Then, in a rather frank appraisal of the task he faces, he admitted: 'Sometimes I say I don't agree with it (government decisions), I don't like it, and it's not the way to do it.'
He trailed off at this point, without elaborating on the battles he faces in Cabinet.
But it is clear that he is frustrated at being singled out as the man responsible for the problems facing the Indians in Malaysia.
Nevertheless, he puts on a brave face.
'I'm not affected by it (the accusations), but I feel sad for them (my opponents). They have done something without any solutions for it.'
But could all the anger he has seen in the past few months be the reason he has declared this as his last election campaign?
Datuk Samy Vellu looked away as if to reflect for a moment before answering: 'I want to make the last round. I think all my heart and hard work (goes) to the people.'
But he stressed that he wants to continue doing social work once his tenure as a politician ends, apart from going back to becoming a practising architect.
'All this will keep me going until I stop breathing.'
As if on cue, he then took a final gulp of coffee, before being ushered out to his next function at Kamuning Village.
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