KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 – The MIC is ready to face the 13th General Election (GE13) with renewed aspiration and determination to ensure greater victory both for the party and Barisan Nasional (BN).
The 67-year-old party is hopeful that it will be able to bounce back from the devastating 2008 general election outcome, where the party only won three of the nine parliamentary seats and seven of the 18 state seats.
MIC’s new confidence is based on the leadership’s belief that in the aftermath the party has become more assertive, and has been taking a strong stand on issues deemed unfair to the Indian community and solving many longstanding problems faced by the community.
Furthermore, MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam admitted that the 2008 General Election was a bitter pill to swallow for MIC and surely, the party has learnt a good lesson since the political tsunami.
“Now, MIC has set a long-term plan and we will maintain the momentum and fighting spirit of party members until polling day. We (MIC) have changed, reformed and delivered.
“We have expressed our inner thoughts so that the government listens clearly and distinctly. The new MIC leadership is committed to continue speaking up on behalf of all Malaysians,” he said in an interview with Bernama recently.
As for the party’s prepartion for GE13, Dr Subramaniam, who will be challenged by Johor Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chairman Datuk Chua Jui Meng in a straight fight for the Segamat parliament seat, said MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel had fielded winnable candidates.
“MIC is also working very hard to garner better support from the Indian community. Nonetheles, we have reasons to believe that the support has improved since 2008. With that, the party will do better than the previous election.
“Whether we can repeat our best election outcome in 2004, that is a challenge, but definitely, we will do better than 2008,” he said.
Dr Subramaniam, while denying any internal sabotage like those witnessed by many parties in GE13, explained that dissatisfaction and dissent could happen in any political party, be it BN or the opposition.
“So far, in MIC’s history, this (sabotage) is not a problem. Initially, there might be some dissatisfaction but this has never led to sabotage that prevented the party’s candidate from securing victory,” he said Political observers believe that although MIC has a better chance in GE13 as compared with GE12 in 2008, this will only happen if MIC’s candidates are seen as open-minded and pleasant people.
“Some areas such as Kota Raja, Kapar and Subang call for strong-willed candidates while strong personalities are needed for constituencies such as Sungai Siput, Cameron Highlands, Segamat, Telok Kemang and Hulu Selangor,” said Associate Professor Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
“If MIC candidates are able to perform better than in 2008, then MIC has made a comeback. But if it fails, the party might have to go through a drastic ‘revivalism’ process to remain relevant,” he noted.
Another political analyst with Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said, coordination with good strategy and winnable candidates were the right ingredients for MIC to secure a big win.
“To secure a big win, the machinery must perform in unison, efficiently and effectively, involving MIC and other component parties,” said the dean of UUM’s School of International Studies
BERNAMA
