KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 – Former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Barisan Nasional (BN) component party leaders should now focus more on regaining the trust of Malaysians with fresh strategies and minimise internal squabbles.
He said the rebuilding of the 13-party coalition should not be left to Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak alone and that all other leaders must contribute to meeting the rising expectations of Malaysians, especially the youths.
The former works minister said BN component party leaders should stay the course with the prime minister to enable him to have renewed confidence to map out plans for the well-being of the people.
Party leaders should also be quick and not be afraid to defend the government’s position against criticisms made by the Opposition so that the government would be seen as having a strong and collective voice, which was an important factor in shaping the people’s perception, he stressed.
“This is no time for arguments. This is the time for us to work (even harder). We have to always remind ourselves what are we without BN and how do we survive politically without BN,” he told Bernama.
Samy Vellu also said that he was disappointed that some party chiefs did not visit all the constituencies contested by their party members in the 13th general election (GE13), adding that this meant they failed to help boost the morale of their candidates.
On the other hand, he praised Najib for his tireless fighting spirit in mobilising support for BN in GE13, which helped the coalition to defend Putrajaya.
The current special envoy to India and South Asia also said that other component leaders must keep pace with Najib in his transformation plan to build a better Malaysia and that those who could not keep pace should step aside.
“The prime minister is walking fast in his path of transformation to bring changes systematically and politically. The others must keep up to his speed,” he added.
Samy Vellu, who was the MIC president for almost 31 years, also said that MIC should take steps to transform itself to remain relevant to the Malaysian Indian community.
He said the party should be unfazed by new developments, like the appointment of non-MIC members in the government administration.
To stay relevant, he believed that MIC leaders must be able to understand the hearts and minds of Indians in the country and champion their interests by speaking with lucidity and coherence.
– BERNAMA
