More babbling from the MIC

I truly wonder why this Samy Vellu fellow even bothers to make such pronouncements as calling for the release of the Hindraf 5. Like it really matters what the MIC has to say about matters of national significance. It seems that since the trouncing of his party in the last election, every so often, Samy comes out with some transparently self-congratulatory and self-serving comments – clearly meant to put some sugar-coating on his supposed efforts to resuscitate the MIC.

This time around, he has the following profound words of wisdom for the regime that his party so proudly associates with: ‘The government should not hold them any longer as it will prolong the Indian community's ill-feelings towards the government.’

Clearly, this man is clueless. Unjustly imprisoning people is not just a concern to the Indian community. It is offensive to all reasonable people with any regard for the rule of law and respect for human rights. It should not matter whether it’s the Hindraf 5, Raja Petra, or any others who are being deprived of their rights and the due process of the law, all Malaysians should find the ISA and its abuse offensive. It’s not just Indians who are disgusted with the imprisonment of the Hindraf 5. But it’s clear that some like Samy who are permanently stuck in a racially-laden and sectarian mind-set cannot seem to look beyond the parochial lenses they see Malaysian society through.

This kind of public relations by Samy is not just transparently shallow, it smacks of hypocrisy. Here is a party so beholden to a decayed and crumbling coalition and he expects us to take him seriously when he thinks he’s supposedly taking the high road.

I suppose trying to put on a good image for the cronies and the gullible is about all there’s left for MIC to do. Much like the self-praise he dished out back in early September when a Malaysiakini report noted that: ‘MIC president S Samy Vellu is happy with the effectiveness of the party’s new campaign strategies employed during the Permatang Pauh by-election despite the Barisan Nasional (BN) being defeated.’

I guess Badawi must be really thankful to Samy for the MIC’s ‘effectiveness.’ Imagine how much more badly humiliated and embarrassed BN would have been if Samy’s MIC had not had an effective campaign in Permatang Pauh. Yes, I suppose this ‘effectiveness’ and success was much like Samy’s glorious initiative to re-brand his party several weeks back. As you may recall, that was the occasion when, while hosting a dinner reception, he had to literally instruct security personnel to secure the exits and not allow the attendees to leave the dinner reception!

And so now we’re to be impressed by his call to the regime to release the Hindraf 5 – only because not doing so might hurt the Indians’ support for the MIC and BN!

How much more of such pathetically self-serving motives must Malaysians endure?

G. Krishnan