Chitrakala: Bootlicking Samy Vellu for Dummies

By: Traveler, ‎Monday, ‎January ‎11, ‎2010

Some Malaysians have acquired the art of bootlicking their leaders to rise on the political ladder particularly Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) fellows and some are expert bootlickers.

These MIC fellows use various methodologies.

Some just carry Samy Vellu’s bag and ended up getting some contracts from Ministry of works.

Some used to show their face, shake his hand and scratch their neck to get some government licenses.

Some journalist, like the one in The Star daily, spin stories to obtain medical seats for their kids at AIMST college with full scholarship.

Some do hanky-panky stuffs, like Sothinathan helping Samy Vellu to hijack 9 million telecom shares, to become deputy ministers.

Some unleash violence against Samy Vellu’s opponents -- like Vickneswaran Sanasee but now, this role has been taken over by Saravan and Mohan Thangarasu-- to get positions in the party.

Some even use sex.

If you are getting unusual attention, one does not need to be a Chartered Account to figure out what their motives are especially if you are pretty women.

The ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ host David Letterman recently admitted having sex with his co-workers.

One script writer alleged that sex politics is common for special favors and thus she quit the show.

Our Supermom Chitrakala Vasu, former MIED CEO, mother of four kids and having interest in 13 companies from Auto service to National service camp has her own way of bootlicking Samy Vellu.

She wrote a book or rather compiled the photographs of Samy Vellu and comments of Samy Vellu bootlickers which was released in 2004.

The following is what Chitrakala wrote in the book.

******
Sincere and Compassionate

By: Chitrakala Vasu

My father still treasures a gift presented to me by Dato Seri in 1982 when I was 11 years old – a pen with three color cartridges! It was a gift that I had to cry for, literally.

The story goes like this. I was a pupil of the Sangeetha Sabah Tamil School in Ipoh who was among several pupils selected from Tamil Schools in Ipoh to be honoured by Dato Seri for doing well in the Standard Five national examination. This ceremony was scheduled at the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple hall.

The teacher, Mrs. Asirvatham, who had to take meto the function was delayed and when we got to the hall the presentation ceremony was over. I did what most children of my age would do – cry. A teacher who noticed this enquired what was wrong and then relayed the message to Dato Seri. Dato Seri immediately went to the rostrum and asked me in Tamil whether I wanted to come up on stage to receive the prize or I wanted him to come over and present it to me. I was too young to understand the magnanimity of his action then but it dawned on me years later that Dato Seri was prepared to descend even to the level of a child in discharging his service to the people. He had demonstrated, without even uttering a single word that he sees all human beings as equal – whether they are children or adults, rich or poor.

I pulled myself together and answered that I wanted to go up on stage to receive the gift. Dato Seri, perceptive as always, apparently liked what he had heard. He was impressed with this little girls answer. She was prepared to cast her inhibition to the wind and take that bold step forward. Dato Seri addressed the audience and said: “look at this girl! See how she speaks ! She will go very far in life.” Such encouraging words from a leader I admire were indeed a boost to my confidence. They ring in my ears to this day.

I had begun to admire Dato Seri well before that encounter at the Temple Hall. My father, who was employed in the civil service then, thought very highly of Dato Seri and always spoke about him although my dad wasn’t in any way associated with the MIC. This prompted me to listen to a Tamil radio program called “Poocharam” ( a string of flowers) which was aired every Sunday morning then. The program had a segment which featured extracts of Dato Seri’s speeches. It was a joy listening to Dato Seri speak. His oratory skills and style of delivery accorded magnificence to Tamil that few could match. I would never miss this program, if not for anything just to listen to the beautiful Tamil of this man whom I had heard so much about and admired.

In 1991, almost 10 years after our first meeting, I went to see Dato Seri after I became the only Indian to receive a Mara scholarship to pursue accountancy in the United Kingdom. This scholarship was for graduating students to pursue teaching careers and came with a five year bond. Rather than teach, I was determined I was determined to practice as an accountant. But that meant, I would have to reject the Mara scholarship and fund my own higher education. To compound matters, my family was in no financial standing to help me achieve my ambition of pursuing Accountancy in the United Kingdom and be a Chartered Accountant. I was restless and troubled about my future. One day, I attended a “Ponggal Night” function at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur where I learned from the MC one Mr Arumugam of RTM that Dato Seri helped needy students. I decided to seeks his help. I set out on a Tuesday morning to meet Dato Seri during his usual meet-the-people session but unfortunately, that Tuesday he wasn’t meeting people. I decided to sit outside his office and wait anyway.

After five hours of waiting, at about lunch time, Dato Seri emerged from his office and walked past me. My heart sank. I thought he had not noticed me. Then, I saw him walking back towards me. He enquired and I told him that I wanted to discuss something with him. He asked me if I could wait another hour and he would attend to me. I decided to wait. To my surprise, Dato Seri had called up his secretary from his car and instructed her to give me something to eat. He had told her that I had looked tired and hungry. How right he was! I had not eaten anything since 7 am that day. His secretary offered me some biscuits and a glass of Milo. I was touched by Dato Seri’s humanity.

When Dato Seri returned to his office latter, his physician Dr. Ampi was with him. Dato Seri invited me to join them for lunch in his office. He went out of his way to serve me food but I was not in the mood to eat. Food was the last thing in my mind. However, the kindness he showered on me rendered me almost speechless.

I explained to Dato Seri the reason for my being there. He was very impressed with my examination results. After a phone call to Mara and having confirmed that the course I had been offered was indeed for teaching, he told me not to accept the Mara scholarship and that he would organize funds for my education. I told him I would return after receiving admission to the university. My family and friends thought I was being unreasonable by forgoing a Mara scholarship, especially when Dato Seri had not given me an undertaking in writing. Although it was a verbal promise, I knew deep inside me that this man would never go back on his word.

True enough, Dato Seri paid for my two years tuition fees through a UK body. I returned to Malaysia in 1995 after completing my degree in Accounting and ACCA. I started working as an accounts Manager at public listed company in Singapore. One day after spending the weekend with my parents in Ipoh and when I was about to catch a flight back to Singapore, I saw Dato Seri at the airport. I went up to him rather reluctantly to greet him because I didn’t think he would remember me. He asked me if I was, without a doubt, Chitra. He told me that he wanted to meet with me at his office.

A month later, and after much persuasion from my father, I called up Dato Seri’s political secretary to fix an appointment to meet him. At this meeting, Dato Seri asked me to take charge of MIED. Little did I realize that he had this plan in mind the day he met me at his office the first time. He advised to accept the job as a way of giving back to the society. And so I have been with MIED since August 1995.

Just like me, he has identified a few other individuals and funded their education. Now, they too serve the MIC and its related organizations.

When I started to serve the MIED, I was in a quandary because I brought corporate practices to the MIC and found that the culture in the party was rather conventional. Dato Seri is the one who impressed upon me that this was an organization that served the people and there was a need to handle matters in a delicate manner.

He has certainly thought me well, inspiring me since the age of 11. Now, he has given me this huge honor to serve the people and I am very thankful for that.

His ability to solve problems fast and fairly stands him in good stead. He doesn’t procrastinate in handling any issue and he handles every problem that comes his way sincerely. He is one man who discharges his duty genuinely regardless of whom he is doing it for.

I continue to admire him for his sincerity and compassionate heart.