Campaign for change in the MIC polls

US President Barack Obama got into White House after campaigning for change. After being elected on Nov 4, 2008 he was sworn in Jan 20 2009.

His campaign not only made Americans want to believe in change. The whole world believed that change can be brought upon for the betterment of the society.

His campaign for change ‘bug’ has infected the MIC party polls. The party polls would take place on September 12, 2008.

All three deputy president candidates - incumbent, G Palanivel, former deputy president, S Subramaniam and current vice president S Sothinathan, are all campaigning for change.

They have also raised their stakes into the cyberspace. Apart from the party president’s candidate, the other two have websites. Sothinathan’s campaign site can be seen viewed here whereas Subramaniam’s site is here.

The Tamil press highlighted the fact that party president S Samy Vellu is also chanting the change mantra to ensure his preferred one - Palanivel - to win this three cornered tussle.

My question therefore, are simple.

If change is so important to MIC, why didn’t Samy step down to make way for newer crop of leaders to helm the party?

If Palanivel and Subra want change, why did not they execute the change after becoming deputy president at different point of time?

What rebranding exercise is MIC looking at if they can’t even bring the new generation of leaders to helm the party.

Another point to be noted is the fact that, Sothinathan and Palanivel lost in the March 2008 elections, whereas Subra was not listed as a candidate.

As such, how can they bring about change to the community without having the power to execute?

Palanivel throws left right jabs on Subra

With the MIC election for the deputy president post being less than 2 months away, incumbent G Palanivel has countered S Subramaniam with left-right jabs on the face.

Subra started the ball rolling by terming Palanivel as a deputy in the shadows to which Palanivel countered with the left-right jabs.

He questioned Subra's two decade tenure as deputy president as can be seen here.

Backing president's men a hindrance to flourishing democracy

The Malaysian Indian Congress has a democratic system where delegates can choose whomever they want to be their leader.

There are no minimum nominations needed as seen in Umno or position sharing amongst those who have won the largest number of votes

Unfortunately there seems to be the culture of backing all the president's men. As a result of which was the defeat of M Muthupalaniappan in his quest to wrest the party top post from incumbent, S Samy Vellu.

Now that all attention is turned on guessing who would his anointed deputy would be.

Despite announcing that he would not be throwing his support candidate, Samy Vellu has lashed out at former deputy president, S Subramaniam and vice president S Sothinathan - both contenders for deputy presidency - in recent times.

Is Samy backing his current deputy Palanivel? Current developments affirms that pattern. Hence the choice is now upto the delegates to continue their culture of backing the president's men or practise democracy and initiate the winds of change in the MIC.