Samy: This ‘may be’ my last term
Feb 19, 08 3:44pm
MIC president S Samy Vellu today announced that the 12th general election could be his last.
"Next term I won’t go (to contest). This may be my last term," said the eight-term member of parliament for Sungai Siput.
Samy Vellu, 72, has been leading MIC for 28 years and critics have accused him of overstaying his welcome.
The president has also come under intense pressure following the Nov 25 rally organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).
There was also speculation that the veteran politician would not contest in this elections.
"I’m prepared to go even now if the Indian community does not want me anymore," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
‘Won’t lead party forever’
However, he stressed that as a leader of the Indian community, the decision must be made by the community and not by outsiders.
"If the Indian community decides that they don’t want me… I’m prepared to go even now… I’m prepared," added the works minister.
Samy first contested the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in the country’s fourth general election in 1974 and has held the seat since then.
On his MIC president post, Samy Vellu said that he could not just leave the party but would give up the post at the appropriate time.
However, he stressed that he would not lead the party forever.
"If I just leave the party now, the party will go into disarray. It is not that I’m going to be there for 100 years. I don’t live for 100 years. Everybody’s got a time to go," he said.
No rift with deputy
Responding to a question, Samy Vellu denied rumours of a rift between him and his deputy G Palanivel.
"If you want to destroy a party, you must divide the leadership in the party. There are a lot of people trying to do that. But we will not allow that to happen. I will hand over the party to the man next to me and go (when the times come)" he said.
On MIC’s candidates list for the general election, he said it was finalised days ago but he did not discount last-minute changes.
"I’m ready to see the prime minister (to submit the list), if he wants to see us today," he said.
Asked about the necessity to make last-minute changes, he said he wanted to pick the best candidates for the election.
"Politics is a performance. You must be seen doing things. You can be a very good man. You just get the seat, win the seat and after that don’t act (work) at all. (Then) it can be (just) one term," he said.
They don’t hate me
Samy Vellu also reminded MIC divisional leaders that seats were allocated for the party and not for the divisions.
He said there had been cases of divisional chairmen claiming seats for themselves because the seats were in their divisions.
"I said if you take that (argument, then) I can’t contest in Sungai Siput next time. The president of the party has no place to go (to contest) because I’m at the headquarters," said Samy Vellu who does not hold any post at the divisional level.
He said he would still give an opportunity to those who had served more than two terms, provided that they had performed well.
Asked on the incident in Butterworth last Saturday where his car was blocked by a group of people from leaving the compound of a school where he had earlier attended a function, Samy Vellu said the group was asking him to help secure the release of the Hindraf leaders.
"There is no indication that they hate me. They came to my car to ask me to tell the prime minister to release them (those arrested).
"That’s all they asked. They didn’t say anything about politics," he said.
