Samy Vellu has apparently finally made up his mind to quit the scene. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — The curtain is finally coming down on the five-decade-long career of 73-year-old MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, and the final act is a grand send-off at the 64th MIC general assembly in May or June 2010.
makkal osai
His deputy Datuk G. Palanivel, who narrowly defeated rival Datuk S. Subramaniam on Sept 12, will take over as acting president, senior MIC leaders said.
However, Samy Vellu, who has informed his inner circle of his plan to depart next year, has not confirmed the actual date.
“We all know he is now prepared to leave but we don’t know the actual date… it is either May or June at the next general assembly,” a senior MIC leader said.
“But he has finally made up his mind... he is ready to leave,” the leader told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity. “He has known for long... in his heart that he has to go and now he is ready.”
“Mid 2010 is the scenario,” he said, adding that Samy Vellu wants his deputy Palanivel to have enough time to strengthen himself in the MIC and Indian society with his own plans and programmes before facing the people in the next general election.
“Datuk Seri (Samy Vellu) does not want to hang around and then get blamed by his successor,” he said.
Samy Vellu's departure became a fait accompli after the party's disastrous showing in the 2008 general election. While he blames "Umno's arrogance" for the losses, Umno and others blamed his own arrogance and failure of Maika Holdings for the defeat.
Utusan Malaysia, quoting MIC sources, first reported yesterday that Samy Vellu is expected to leave in May 2010 but gave few details.
Both the independent Malaysian Nanban and the anti-Samy Vellu Makkal Osai Tamil dailies reproduced the story but Makkal Osai, controlled by supporters of former deputy president Subramaniam, was sceptical about Samy Vellu’s retirement.
“We will have to see it before we can believe it,” the newspaper said.
Samy Vellu first entered politics as a member of the Batu Caves MIC branch in 1959 and gradually climbed the party ranks, one rung at a time.
Famously, he contested 13 times to become secretary of Selangor MIC before he finally won.
Samy Vellu, who is expected to be conferred a Tunship next June, will head a new institution that will group all the projects he had started in his 30-year career as MIC president, including cooperatives, colleges, the AIMST University and the MIED.
The MIC will have stake and a big say in the new organisation, MIC leaders said, adding the "new arrangements" and the issue of Samy Vellu “hijacking” the MIED do not arise.
The thinking is that the party should allow Samy Vellu to continue managing the projects he had started for the benefit of the Indian community and let the new party leader start his own socio-economic schemes.
In that way Samy Vellu's contribution is recognised and he continues to contribute to the community.
His closest aides say Samy Vellu will also cut his links to the MIC in a “final and permanent” manner and will not give advice or interfere in party matters after retirement.
“The departure will be final and total… there will be no interference,” a trusted aide told The Malaysian Insider.
Nevertheless Samy Vellu can exert great influence if he wants to, because the CWC is filled with his hardcore loyalists.
But many CWC members are however expected to swing to successor Palanivel once Samy Vellu’s exit is announced and confirmed.
“Until then they will wait and see how the wind blows,” a former CWC member said.
The big question is whether Palanivel can hold the fractious, faction-ridden party together in the harsh manner Samy Vellu had — demanding total loyalty, imposing hard discipline and expelling members at the slightest whiff of disloyalty.
“Palanivel’s style is different and more consensus driven,” a MIC leader said. “He will not rant, threaten or sack but seek conciliation and open up the party to all Indians.”
“He will serve only two or three terms but his aim is to democratise the party and reconnect it with the Tamil masses,” said the leader allied with Palanivel.
“He will heal the damage inflicted by Samy Vellu and others,” the leader said. "There will be a renaissance in the MIC."
The big loser appears to be Subramaniam who tried but failed to unseat both Samy Vellu and Palanivel.
He has threatened to leave the MIC and set up his own party or NGO but is unlikely to do so, MIC insiders said. "He will sink or swim with the MIC... he has no life outside the MIC."
“But he will try again to be president... a contest between him and acting president Palanivel for the president’s post should not be ruled out,” the insider said.
"He sees opportunity in Samy Vellu's departure and a weak Palanivel taking over," the insider said. "He will hang in there."
The next MIC election is in 2012.*****
Utusan Malaysia
21/11/2009
Samy Vellu berundur terajui MIC Mei 2010?
KUALA LUMPUR 20 Nov. - Presiden MIC, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu akan berundur daripada menerajui parti itu pada Mei tahun depan.
Sumber dalaman MIC memberitahu, Samy Vellu mengambil keputusan tersebut untuk memberi peluang kepada timbalannya, Datuk G. Palanivel.
Sehubungan itu, pemimpin kanan MIC itu berkata, Persidangan Tahunan MIC (AGM) yang selalunya diadakan pada Jun atau Julai setiap tahun akan dipercepatkan pada Mei tahun depan bagi membolehkan peralihan kuasa itu berlaku.
''Samy Vellu mengambil keputusan itu dengan tenang dan hati terbuka. Beliau juga sangat yakin dengan barisan kepimpinan yang telah berjaya dalam pemilihan parti September lalu.
''Majlis Tertinggi MIC juga difahamkan, beliau tidak akan mencampuri urusan dalaman MIC dan akan memberi peluang sepenuhnya kepada Palanivel untuk mengetuai parti itu,'' katanya ketika ditemui Utusan Malaysia baru-baru ini.
Samy Vellu mula memimpin MIC sejak 1978 dan beliau berjaya melakarkan 'sejarah' apabila menyandang jawatan berkenaan buat tempoh waktu yang amat lama.
Baru-baru ini, ramai pemimpin Barisan Nasional (BN) menyatakan rasa tidak puas hati terhadap Samy Vellu dan menggesa beliau untuk meletak jawatan bagi memperkuatkan jentera BN.
Mereka mendakwa parti yang memperjuangkan masyarakat India itu paling teruk menerima tamparan pada Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12 lalu dan semakin tidak relevan kerana ia masih diterajui oleh Samy Vellu.
Dalam pada itu, seorang lagi ahli Jawatankuasa Kerja Pusat (CWC) parti itu berkata, Samy Vellu akan menubuhkan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) untuk menyelia Institut Pembangunan Pendidikan Maju (MIED) dan Institut Perubatan, Sains dan Teknologi Asia (AIMST).
Kata beliau, NGO itu akan diketuai oleh Samy Vellu dan beberapa ahli MIC akan dikenal pasti untuk mengendalikan badan itu.
''Ini kerana beliau ingin menyelesaikan segala masalah di dalam MIED yang merupakan entiti kewangan MIC supaya ia menjadi lebih kuat dan relevan bagi masyarakat India di negara ini.
''Selain itu, Samy Vellu juga akan meluangkan masa lapangnya untuk membuat kerja-kerja kebajikan demi kebaikan masyarakat India di negara ini,'' katanya.
Tambahnya, pemimpin-pemimpin MIC lain akan tetap menghormati keputusan Samy Vellu dan akan memberi sokongan yang tidak berbelah bahagi kepada Palanivel.
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