Video – SAMY Facing his Final Countdown Defeat Slams at Hindraf; Despite Form irregularities allowed to Contest facing Dr Jeyakumar & Independant

UPDATE: (Samy is 50 yrs behind times), from Arab Times

Angry Indian voters could dump ruling party in elections

RINCHING, Malaysia, Feb 25, (AP): With a small knife, plantation worker Ramalingam Tirumalai makes raw incisions on the rubber trees every morning to harvest the oozing gooey latex. Just like the gashes on the trees, Ramalingam says, countless wounds have been inflicted by Malaysia's government on the country's ethnic Indian minority, denying them jobs, education, freedom of religion and most of all dignity. 'We have been independent for 50 years,' the stocky 53-year-old man said of his country, Malaysia. 'But there has been no change in the lives of Indians.' Seething anger among ethnic Indians is likely to singe the government during parliamentary elections on March 8. No one doubts that the National Front coalition, which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957, will return to power. But it is expected to fall short of its 2004 landslide, when it won 91 percent of the seats. Anything less than a two-thirds majority would signal plunging support for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Voters are upset by rising prices and a surge in urban crime. Ethnic tensions are also at a high, largely because of the increasing influence of Islam in daily life.

'We need a new kind of leadership,' Ramalingam said in an interview near his plantation in Rinching town, about 45 kms (30 miles) from Malaysia's main city, Kuala Lumpur. The National Front is dominated by the party of the Muslim Malay majority, which make up 60 percent of the country's 27 million people. The Front also has the support of some ethnic Chinese, who are 25 percent of the population, and some Indians, who are eight percent.

Voted Indians have traditionally voted for the Malaysian Indian Congress, their party in the National Front. But now the Indians will 'definitely vote for the opposition,' said S. Nagarajan of the Education, Welfare and Research Foundation, a nonprofit group that represents impoverished ethnic Indians. 'This time there is raw anger.' Indian voters could make a difference in 62 of the 222 constituencies, said Denison Jayasooriya, a political analyst who specializes in Indian affairs. At the time of independence, most Malaysians were poor, regardless of race. An affirmative action program gives Malays preferences in university admission and government jobs, discounted homes and a mandatory 30 percent share of all publicly listed companies. The program lifted the Malay standard of living. The Chinese, already well established in business, continued to flourish. The Indians, however, remained at the bottom of the barrel.

The government denies discriminating against Indians, citing statistics that show the poverty rate among Malays is higher than for Indians. But analysts say the statistics are skewed because the Malay figure includes indigenous tribes that are extremely poor and not ethnically Malay.
Infuriated
Indians were also infuriated when municipal authorities destroyed several Indian temples last year because they were deemed to have been built illegally. The disenchantment exploded on Nov 25 when about 20,000 Indians demonstrated in Kuala Lumpur. Several smaller demonstrations have taken place since. Much of the anger is directed at Samy Vellu, head of the Malaysian Indian Congress party. He is perceived as corrupt and unable to bring about change for Indians. Campaigning last week, he was booed and pelted with eggs, shoes and sandals.

Samy (ABOVE) insists the government has done much to uplift Indians. 'It is not that the Indian community is 50 years backward,' he said. 'Maybe you minus about 40-45 years from the 50. They may be five years backward' compared to the rest of the population. About 85 percent of the ethnic Indians are descendants of indentured laborers brought by the British to work on rubber plantations in the 19th century. The work, where it remains, pays about 200 ringgit ($60; 40 euros) a month. Many plantations were turned into golf courses and luxury home communities in the 1980s and 1990s. The workers lost their jobs and the free housing and schooling that was included.

Other plantations were converted to palm oil, which does not require the skills of rubber tapping, and the Indians were replaced with Indonesian immigrants at lower wages. Most of the former Bukit Jalil rubber estate in Kuala Lumpur was cleared for stadiums and athlete housing for the 1995 Commonwealth Games.
Former workers still live on the last 16-hectare (40-acre) patch, which is slated to become a graveyard. The residents have been classified as squatters and offered two-room rental apartments in a nearby low-cost housing development. Their school and temple will be relocated inside the burial ground, a proposal that has incensed the residents. 'My age is 43 years. I have lived here for 43 years. How can I be a squatter?' said Shanti Vasupillai. 'All I am asking for is our rights.' 'Most probably the elections will be a shock for the government,' she said. 'I can promise you most Indians will vote for opposition this time.'

= == == == == No Hope for MIC in Perai & Bagan Dalam?

UPDATE:
Samy: MIC candidates must 'slog' to win Perai, Bagan Dalam

BUTTERWORTH (Feb 26, 2008): In his own words, MIC president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu said today that MIC's Perai and Bagan Dalam candidates will have to "slog" to win the two seats. Samy who visited the two constituencies,which were won by the MIC's Datuk K.Rajapathy (Perai) and P.Subbaiyah (Bagan Dalam) in the 2004 general election said today they would have to go door to door to explain to the people. Rajapathy retained the Perai seat which has 36% Indian voters after beating DAP's Chong Eng with a slim 583 majority while Subbaiyah won the Bagan Dalam seat which has 22% Indian voters with a 1,967 majority after defeating DAP's Lim Hock Seng and Keadilan's Abdul Razak Abdul Hamid in 2004.
However ,with recent developments including the Hindraf protests, MIC's chances of retaining the seats with L. Krishnan contesting the Perai seat facing DAP's Prof Dr P.Ramasamy and Subbaiyah facing DAP's A.Tanasekharan, are threatened. Samy, who was visiting the two constituencies for the second time in two weeks announced several goodies for both constituencies, including a RM4 million allocation (RM1 million from state government and RM3 million from the Public Works Department (PWD) to repair eight lifts in six blocks of 21-storey Telok Indah flats which have malfunctioned for years. For the past few years, only four lifts have been in working order and despite numerous requests, the residents failed to get the problems resolved. Only last week, attempts were made to rectify the situation.

Samy said repair work on the lifts was already in progress and would be completed by this week. Asked about the chances of the candidates in the two constituencies, Samy said: "To win the election the candidates have to slog and MIC with other BN partners have to go house to house and discuss with them. "Even though I have contested the general election eight times, now for the ninth time, I still go house to house to see and talk to them to make them understand what needs to be done.
Subbaiyah and Krishnan can do work well, provided they see people personally.
"We have to work very hard, but I'm happy to say we have recovered from below 50% in Bagan Dalam. We are now getting higher and higher. This constituency (Bagan Dalam) is a bit different from Perai. Bagan Dalam is still quite good.
"Perai is recovering because whatever the people were complaining the other day have already been attended to, and I think now they can now look forward to see better things than before," Samy said, adding that attending to the residents grouses had nothing to do with the elections.
He said the construction of a RM4 million market for Chai Leng Park would also begin soon, once the design was completed by his ministry. Asked if these efforts would help cool down the emotions of the Indian population in the two consti-tuencies, Samy said doing these things had nothing to do with their emotions.

"This has nothing to do with understanding the emotion of Indians or anyone. If someone is emotional, he is emotional and we cannot change his emotions. The emotion of a man can only be changed by himself not by others," he added.

Asked about the five Hindraf leaders under ISA detention in Kamunting, Samy said: "I don't know what you are talking about. I only know about BN and MIC and how to win the elections," he added. Earlier, Samy Vellu was again heckled by an angry crowd of Indians upon arrival in the area, but a tight police cordon, including the presence of Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel, prevented any untoward incidents. Similar incidents have happened to Samy Vellu in recent months, including one in Butterworth last week when an angry group of people refused to allow him to leave a school premises in Butterworth and police had to be called in to clear the crowd. Samy was at Subbaiyah's service centre to have his lunch when the group of about 10 men and women tried to meet him. The group, shouting abuses tried to cross the road to the service centre but were prevented by the police. On police advice, Samy and his entourage left in a huff which even further infuriated the crowd which later dispersed after police advised them to do so.

= == = == = =from NST visit to Perai & Bagan Dalam

= = == = == == = == = =from NST
Samy Vellu said the state government had allocated RM1 million while the federal government had come up with another RM3.5 million to repair the lifts. The government had also allocated another RM4 million to upgrade the Taman Chai Leng wet market.
Asked why the problems were only being attended to now, Samy Vellu said a decision to repair the lifts was made six months ago. However, he said the money was released by the Treasury to the local council before it was redirected to his ministry. “This was not something that could be done in a day or two. Nevertheless, the problem is resolved now,” he said. On the situation in other states, Samy said he was going all over to help MIC candidates in the campaign.

“I am spending one day in Sungai Siput and every other day elsewhere to help campaign for the other MIC candidates,” he said. “I am especially happy with the situation in Johor where the Menteri Besar had taken charge by helping out the MIC’s campaign.”

= == = = == == = = == and the reaction - "We will teach the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a lesson in the election. We will reject his government,'

Feb 26, 2008

M'sian court rejects Hindu activists' freedom bid

KUALA LUMPUR - A MALAYSIAN court rejected a freedom bid by five Hindu rights activists being detained without trial after mounting an anti-discrimination protest, their lawyer said. 'The High Court rejected their application for freedom,' said Mr Karpal Singh who is representing the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) members who were detained under the Internal Security Act last December. Mr Karpal said the court on Tuesday threw out the defence argument that the detention was unlawful because there had been no 60-day investigation period beforehand. 'I think their detention has far-reaching consequences. You are placing dictatorial powers in the hands of the internal security minister,' he said.Hindraf infuriated the government by mounting a mass rally last November alleging discrimination against minority ethnic Indians in Malaysia, where the population is dominated by Muslim Malays.They are being held in the Kamunting detention centre in northern Perak state for an initial period of two years.

Police used tear gas, water cannon and baton charges to break up the Hindraf street protest which drew 8,000 people. Another lawyer S. Sivanesan said the detainees would on Wednesday file an appeal with the Federal Court, the highest court in the country. Hindraf members immediately condemned the decision and vowed to punish the ruling National Front coalition in March 8 general elections. 'We are clearly disappointed with the ruling. On the 100th day of detention (on March 22), Hindraf will organise a worldwide protest,' Mr P. Waythamoorthy, a brother of one of the detainees, said from London.

Hindraf coordinator R. Thanenthiran said many Indians would cast protest vote in the polls, which are expected to reduce the government's large majority. 'We will teach the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a lesson in the election. We will reject his government,' he said. Ethnic Indians, who make up eight per cent of the country's population, say they are disadvantaged in terms of wealth, opportunities and education.Muslim Malays, who make up 60 per cent, control the government while the ethnic Chinese, at 26 per cent, dominate business. – AFP
= == = == = ==
SMSes are floating around the last two days calling Indians NOT to vote MIC Candidates. They are no longer Credible.

Time is running out for Samy Vellu and he is in a state of despair. Right up to election time, he still cannot fathom the problems faced by his countrymen when he declared he would lead MIC's elected representatives on “a state-by-state visit to find out the problems on the ground after the elections”. In the meantime he questioned Hindraf motive when he said (listen to his words in the Video Clip”

“You want to finish up the MIC. After that who is going to be there? You are not a Political Party, you don’t have politics. You have a handful of 10,000 Indians with you all young people. What is your plan? What is the future for the Indians? What are you going to do for the Indians? Do you treat the sick people? Do you educate the Indian youths?”

To his dying days in politics, Samy is still unable to perceive the sufferings of the majority of the Indians living from hand to mouth in the lower rungs of society. And all this is his doing. In his efforts to help the community, he and his right hand men have helped themselves to the lion’s share of the little goodies that were given to them.
Samy your time is near, in a matter of days when the final curtain is drawn for you to exit shamefully. You can only hope to win on a single vote. You have finally sober up and realize the reality swelling on the grounds. It is the river of no return for you.
= == = = == == = == = ==
Monday February 25, 2008; STAR; MIC to woo 250,000 non-members
IPOH: The MIC will go all out to woo the more than 250,000 Indians who are not members of the party to vote for Barisan Nasional, its president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said. He said party members have been working continuously to identify the voters, and brief them. “We have 630,000 members, of which 65% are voters. We are confident they will support MIC candidates and Barisan,” he told reporters after submitting his nomination papers to contest the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat here yesterday. The 71-year-old Samy Vellu, who is also the Works Minister, will be facing Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) candidate Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, who is contesting on a PKR ticket, and Independent Nor Rizan Oon. In the 2004 general election, which also saw a three-way fight, Samy Vellu defeated Jeyakumar by 10,235 votes. DAP's Sanmugam Ponmugam Ponnan was the third contender for the seat. On whether he was confident of a bigger majority this time, Samy Vellu said that even a win with a single vote was a victory.

“When I contested for the first time in 1974, I got a majority of only 626 votes. I worked hard and tried to meet the wishes of the electorate, and increased the majority in the next general election,” he said. Samy Vellu said the number of candidates fighting for the seat was not important but that attention should be given to the preparations undertaken by Barisan to win the full support of voters. On MIC’s chances of securing another 100% win in the nine parliamentary and 19 state seats it was contesting, he said a lot of hard work had to be done in three difficult consti-tuencies – Lunas (Kedah), Prai and Bagan Dalam (Penang).He said he would lead MIC's elected representatives on a state-by-state visit to find out the problems on the ground after the elections.


= == = ==
February 24, 2008 18:18 PM
Samy Vellu Says He Is Leaving It To Voters
SUNGAI SIPUT, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- MIC President Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu who will be defending his Sungai Siput Parliament seat for the ninth term this coming elections, declined to comment on his chances of a bigger majority win at the three-corner fight for the seat. He said he was leaving it to the voters in the constituency to decide their selection of candidate. "We cannot show-off when we are a candidate in an area. We have to be modest and wait for their decision. I do not want to comment on the majority of votes at the moment," he told reporters after handing over his nomination form at the Kuala Kangsar Town Council, Sungai Siput division, here Sunday. The Works Minister will be facing Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)candidate Dr D. Jeyakumar, who is contesting on the ticket of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, and Independent candidate, Nor Rizan Oon.

ABOVE: T Mohan MIC Candidate for Batu Caves ask voters not to believe the SMSes

In the 2004 general elections which also saw a three-corner fight, Samy Vellu defeated Jeyakumar with a majority of 10,235 votes. DAP candidate, Sanmugam Ponmugam Ponnan was the third contender for the seat. Samy Vellu said the number of candidates fighting for the seat was not important but instead attention should be given to the preparations undertaken by the Barisan Nasional to win the full support of the voters in the area. Meanwhile, the Elections Commission received three protests from three individuals believed to be members of Party Socialis Malaysia (based on the T-shirt worn by them which spotted the word "Parti Sosialis Malaysia"). Two of them protested to the description of "Minister" as Samy Vellu's occupation in the nomination form. The other was a protest to Samy Vellu's date of birth which was different from the date of March 8 as previously reported by The New Straits Times paper. However, Election Returning Officer, Raya Mad Dan Hassan rejected all three protests. He said the registering of "Minister" in the application form was allowed to be used by the administration of the temporary caretaker government as provided under the Constitution. As for the date of birth, he said the EC took into account the date as given in the nomination form and not as reported by a newspaper.

= = == == =Watch Video Clip - Samy Final Countdown - SMSes - Don't Vote MIC Candidate -

= == == == == =

== == = == == ==