LIVE Anti-Samy GAS rally - Malaysiakini

Thousands of people have started to gather inside the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre for the much-anticipated Gerakan Anti-Samy (GAS) rally against MIC president S Samy Vellu. 

5.38pm: Mugilan alleges further that the Indian community no longer supports Samy Vellu and have turned towards the opposition.

He says that GAS will organise for a nation-wide petition to collect 500,000 signatures calling for Samy to resign, since he has become a liability to MIC.

"Who is bigger? The leaders or the people?” he asks, to which crowd responds by shouting “Rakyat!”

Speaking to the media afterwards, Mugilan says he is giving one week to Samy to think thoroughly about whether to step down or not.

He also said he hopes the government considers giving a senior position to Samy Vellu should the MIC chief gives up his position.

5.00pm: Mugilan declares the GAS rally a success after a strong crowd turn out, as it has indicated the extent of the calls for Samy to step down.

He says despite the dirty tactics used by "pihak tertentu" (certain quarters) to stop people from attending the rally, GAS has still managed to make the rally a success.

"GAS has succeeded with this turnout. Although many have been held up, there are still a lot of people who managed to attend.

“This programme has succeeded in pressing Samy to step down.”

4.57pm: Mugilan reveals that RM5 million had been spent to stop people from attending the GAS rally. Buses transporting GAS supporters from Penang, Pahang and other places were stopped. At least one GAS leader has been 'kidnapped' or gone missing, Mugilan alleges further.

Mugilan said that MIC is the only party in the world with two party elections, with the presidential elections due in March and the elections for other posts in June.

Samy, Mugilan says further, will concentrate to win the presidential election and then use his power to remove those he doesn't like before the second party elections are held in order to keep his grip on the party.

4.35pm: Sacked CWC member G Kumar leads the 4,500-strong crowd to chant "Samy step down!" three times. "Samy Vellu Ohika (finished)," declares Kumar.


In his speech, Kumar says a lot of Indian groups have of expected Samy to step down, but he has refused to heed their expectations.


“V Mugilan was determined to bring the changes to the party, and he was sacked by Samy."

4.47pm: The crowd has increased to 4,500 as sacked CWC member KP Samy, addressing the audience, alleges Samy Vellu to be the cause of the downfall and economic depravation of Indians.


He also says that the MIC president is the “liar of the century,” and brings out two documents as proof.


The first is an internal MIC report which KP Samy says shows that the MIC only has 400,000 members as opposed to the 600,000 that Samy has claimed to be MIC's membership.


The second document, KP Samy adds, will be released tomorrow and allegedly proves that Samy Vellu was responsible for forcing former MIC president VT Sambanthan to step down.


He calls on the government to stop 'protecting' Samy Vellu, or it will risk losing Indian support.

KP Samy also says he wants the government to reveal all the government-linked company appointments that Samy Vellu had arranged for his cronies.

3.48pm: To the delight of the crowd, a GAS supporter hits a poster of Samy with a shoe fixed to the end of a broom stick to the delight of the crowd.

The emotional man had to be calmed down and asked to sit down.

3.45pm: Former Petaling Jaya division veteran V Subramaniam, more popularly known by the name Baratmaniam, speaks to the audience, blasting Samy for the loss of RM9 million shares of RM10 Telekom shares that were meant for the Indian community in 1990.

He also raises the scandal surrounding MIC's educational arm Maju Institute for Education Development (MIED), and alleges to have a document signed by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad guaranteeing MIED is body meant for the Indian community and not any one person.

"Samy is power crazy. Chase him out! The Indian community must unite to improve things," says Baratmaniam.

3.33pm: Crowd size has increased to about 4,000.

3.18pm: Govindarajoo apologises to the Indian community for bringing Samy Vellu into politics. He also claims to have evidence of how Samy betray the community.

3.07pm: MIC veteran V Govindarajoo gives the rally's opening speech

3,00pm: The crowd size is now about 3,500. Rally officially starts with the singing of Negaraku and the MIC party song. Many in the crowd do not know the song, suggesting they are not MIC members.

2.50pm: Leaders now present include the sacked CWC members ex-MIC Youth leader V Mugilan and G Kumar, and party veteran V Govindaraju.

Govindaraju (left, centre) is said to have once been a strong Samy ally and who had helped Samy win his 1st contest for MIC president.


2.40pm: The crowd size has built up to 1,500.


2.17pm: Former MIC central working committee member KP Samy arrives and tells the roughly 1,000 people who have arrived to take their seats.

This despite a mere minutes before the event had been scheduled to start with a targeted 10,000 people.


The event will start at 2.45pm, says the Klang-based politician, who apologises for the as yet low turnout. Many supporters may not have gotten the latest directions to the new venue of the rally after the original venue - the Putra World Trade Centre - had to be changed, says Samy.