MIC to spearhead consolidation of Indians in Malaysia 0.06
Posted by , on Monday June 28 2010 05:49:15 Kuala Lumpur: Malysian Indian Congress will spearhead the consolidation of the Indian community in a bid to strengthen the party’s power base and bargaining power with the government, party president Samy Vellu has said.
The MIC, which represents the Indian community in the ruling Barisan Nasional, has to lead the consolidation to ensure that the party became a much stronger voice for the community. "The time and political situation in the country demand that we (Indians) unite or risk breaking up further into many groups, which in the end will only make the community lose its strength," he said in a statement here yesterday.
Samy Vellu was commenting on the statement by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that the leadership issue plaguing the Indian community — due to the emergence of small groups representing the community — must be resolved. Najib was quoted as saying that the Indians must consolidate themselves under a strong leadership to enable the Government to address their needs. Samy Vellu said it was easy to form political parties and become leaders, but to strive for the well-being of the Indian community was not an easy task.
The MIC has been representing the Indians since the country achieved independence, 73-year-old Samy Vellu, who has headed the party for the last three decades, said. The MIC fared miserably in the 2008 general elections when it won only three of the nine parliamentary seats it contested. The party has since also faced demands from some members asking for a change in the leadership, urging Samy Vellu to step down before his term.
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