General Samy: We are at war

By FMT Staff

SEREMBAN: MIC president S Samy Vellu, who is facing mounting pressure to relinquish his post, has described the crisis as a battle.
“We are at war,” he told the delegates attending the Negri Sembilan MIC annual general meeting in Seremban this morning.
Training his guns on rebel secretary-general S Murugesan, who was seated on the stage as well, Samy Vellu said: “When the general tells you to shoot, you shoot.”
The 74-year-old politician said that while he did not harbour any resentment towards Murugesan, the latter, however, had erred in not defending MIC.
Unable to contain his disappointment with the man he had appointed as secretary-general, Samy Vellu said: “I had expected him to protect MIC against those who are bent on destroying it.”
Samy Vellu also clarified that it was former MIC president S Manickavasagam, and not him, who had urged (another former president) VT Sambanthan to step down.
He was referring to Murugesan's statement yesterday criticising Samy Vellu for invoking his presidential powers to expel four party members.
Murugesan had said that he was forced to make a stand as he owed it to the party and delegates who voted him into the MIC central working committee.
Saying that the laws of karma were at work, Murugesan had claimed that Samy Vellu asked Sambanthan to step down and history was now repeating itself.
'I would step down earlier if...'
Meanwhile, Samy Vellu told the MIC delegates that he would step down earlier if he is given other responsibilities.
“I have already said that I will hand over (the leadership) to (deputy president G) Palanivel in September 2011. What more do they want?” he asked.
The MIC president did not specify what the other responsibilities were but there has been speculation that he might be appointed as the roving ambassador to South Asia.
Samy Vellu, who has been president for three decades, said he was not perturbed by the ongoing campaign to oust him.
Referring to the “Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu” (GAS) rally slated for tomorrow, he said: “They can gather 30,000 people and it will not affect MIC or me.”
GAS was initiated by former MIC Youth deputy chief V Mugilan after the president expelled him from the party last week.
In a related development, Murugesan defended his action to publicly voice his opinion on the sackings.
Responding to the criticism from MIC's three vice-presidents, he said: “I have noted their points and thank them for expressing their views. This is healthy democracy.”
“It is exactly for this right – for elected representatives to be able to voice their views without fear or favour – that I had stood up for,” he added in a statement.