KUALA LUMPUR: The MIC annual general assembly on Sunday must come up with a report card of what the party has done for the Indian community in the last four years so as to garner the community’s support for the party and the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election, according to political analysts.
They believe that these facts, in black and white, would be apt and more effective in enabling the community to evaluate the efforts undertaken by their leaders, rather than verbally pointing out the initiatives.
These thoughts were shared by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Assoc Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian and the principal research fellow of the Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria.
Sivamurugan said the general assembly was the best platform to provide precise information to the people on the efforts made and the successes achieved, which he believed could eventually rally a solid allegiance within the community.
“The delegates should further discuss the projects and initiatives that have borne fruit and also the ongoing efforts, associating them with the initiatives of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who has communicated with the Indians to identify the problems they faced.
“For example, he (Najib) initiated the Cabinet Committee on the Indian Community in the Prime Minister’s Department and Special Implementation Taskforce (SITF). So, it’s timely for the delegates to explain what they have done so far,” he told Bernama.
Sivamurugan explained that such transparent discussion was crucial as part of the preparation for the 13th general election and, at the same time, ensuring the Indian backing for the MIC because a lack of support had been identified as the main reason of the BN’s poor performance in the 2008 general election.
In the March 2008 general election, a majority of the Indian community deserted the BN, resulting in the MIC winning only three of the nine parliamentary and seven of the 19 state seats contested. The party recaptured the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2009.
Denison said a clear explanation of what was promised and delivered by the government and the MIC would help the people to understand better.
“All the information must be well documented with facts and objectives, and should not be not just political talk,” he said.
Saying that the leaders should not just condemn the opposition, he said they had to prove that the MIC was a rock solid party that could collectively address the urgent and critical needs of the community. With 3,960 branches, MIC has about 600,000 members throughout the country.
In addition, he said, the MIC must show that other sections of the community like the Tamil media, civil society, business entities, professional bodies and sub-ethnic groups were together in the prime minister’s agenda for the BN’s victory.
“The MIC has to be humble in ensuring that all are working together for the common good and not just to win (the election) but resolve issues involving, particularly, the bottom 40 per cent household income group. Therefore, a very inclusive agenda in the presentation is imperative,” he stressed.
Denison said MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel must take the cue from the recent Umno general assembly 2012 which saw Najib portrayed as a superb leader with a clear vision, dynamic in presentation and political perception.
He pointed out that Palanivel must show his confidence in leading not just the MIC but also the Indian community as a whole as he stood not just for the party but also as the representative of Indians within the BN framework.
Responding to these suggestions, MIC secretary-general Datuk S Murugesan said documented facts and figures on the party’s activities and performance would be distributed to all the branch and divisional leaders at the meeting.
About 1,500 delegates and 2,000 observers, among them branch chiefs, would attend the general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).
Delegates will debate six resolutions, on politics, economic transformation of the Indians, education, employment in the public sector, and training for Indian youths. — Bernama