KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who sacked his longtime ally Tan Sri M. Mahalingam as treasurer-general last week has picked rising star S. K. Devamany, 51, as his replacement, instantly raising the former youth exco member into the top echelon of the party.
Devamany, the MP for Cameron Highlands, also enjoys the backing of Umno, especially that of Prime Minister-designate Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
In addition, Devamany, as the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department overseeing the Economic Planning Unit, is directly involved in discussions with the government to raise Indian corporate equity, set up a million-dollar development fund for Tamil schools and creating a unit trust for Indians to be managed by PNB along the lines of the highly successful Amanah Saham Nasional.
The discussions on these and other initiatives are nearly finalised and several announcements are expected soon, MIC sources said.
Devamany, when contacted, said: “It is a heavy responsibility and I will do my very best.”
“I will serve the party and the Malaysian Indian community with greater vigour,” he added.
“I promise to work harder and deliver beyond expectation. That’s my target.”
Devamany, a former school teacher, build a sterling reputation in the Indian community as the leading force behind the expansion of the Sri Murugan Centre, a tuition centre that now enjoys strong support from Indian parents.
Devamany received his primary and secondary education at King Edward VII in Taiping, Perak.
He graduated from the Specialist Teachers Training Institute in Cheras in 1978 and received a BA from Universiti Malaya in1982, majoring in Malay Literature.
In 1995 he co-founded the RIFA Group of Engineering College where he was the Managing Director.
In 2004 he became a Member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands.
His career in MIC was slow and mostly confined to the youth wing, probably a result of Samy Vellu blocking his rise.
Devamany, married with three daughters, is only an appointed CWC member and chairman of the MIC Training and Employment Committee.
He gained some notoriety in the aftermath of the Nov 25 Hindraf rally when he defended the government in a live telephone interview with the Al Jazeera television channel but the next day in parliament he caused a stir by criticising the government for neglecting the Indians.
Party insiders said his selection as treasurer-general would significantly boost Devamany's image and standing in the MIC.
“He is one of several young leaders who are rising fast in the party hierarchy,” party insiders said. “He has it — clean image, competent and political support from Umno.”
“The president has now added his own support, has almost endorsed him,” the insiders said. “It is for Devamany now to show how high he wants to go.”
They said others on the fast track are secretary-general Datuk Dr S.Subramaniam and Information chief Datuk M. Saravanan.
“They form the next generation leadership after Samy Vellu,” they said.
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