KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president S Samy Vellu, who is normally animated during press conferences, has adopted a new, and more subdued, approach.
Instead of firing away with all his guns, the veteran politician has now opted for the famous “no comments” response, leading observers to wonder if there is more to this.
However, Samy Vellu said: “This is my new style.”
The president was speaking to reporters after chairing MIC's all-powerful central working committee meeting at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
Quizzed on the takeover of MIC's debt-ridden investment arm Maika Holdings, Samy Vellu replied: “No comments. This is a company's decision.”
Maika Holdings is set to be rescued by port tycoon G Gnanalingam through a special purpose vehicle called G Team Resources & Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Yesterday, G Team Resources served a takeover notice to the Maika Holdings board of directors to acquire all its 125 million voting shares at 80 sen per share in cash.
Samy Vellu had also responded with a “no comments” when asked about the sacking of Petaling Jaya Selatan MIC division chief Subramaniam V, better known as Barat Maniam.
Among the reasons given for his sacking was the SMS he had sent to Samy Vellu last week, among others, telling him that MIC did not belong to the president or his family.
Will he quit in 2012?
More importantly, Samy Vellu was also asked if he would step down in 2012 when his presidential term expires, to which, he had also replied, “No comments.”
Observers pointed out that the president's last answer must have caused his deputy G Palanivel's heart to skip a beat.
"Then again," said a MIC source, "it could be a case of much sooner than 2012 given the fact that the president no longer commands the support that he used to even in the CWC."
Over the weeks, rumours have been circulating about how Samy Vellu is facing mounting internal pressure apart from external pressure to step down.
It was also speculated that ties between him and Palanivel had soured, especially when the latter told the media that he was ready to take over the reins.
Palanivel had said this in response to Samy Vellu's comments in an exclusive interview with FMT, where the president said that he was willing to step down for his deputy as and when Palanivel asks him to do so.
It is also an open secret that Samy Vellu, who has been helming the party for nearly three decades, is being pushed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Umno to set a transitional plan.
Prior to the Hulu Selangor by-election on April 25, the MIC boss was reported as saying that he would quit in 2012.
In a related development, Barat Maniam said that he has yet to decide on whether to file an appeal over his sacking.
"I'm not sure, I will think it over. I am not a beggar to go to him (Samy Vellu)," he told Bernama.
Barat Maniam said he came to know about his sacking through a letter which he received yesterday.
He also said that he made history by being sacked for the third time since joining MIC in 1978. He was previously sacked in 1984 and in 1994.
MIC has given him 14 days from the date of receiving the letter to make an appeal.
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