Saturday, September 5, 2009

Polling Online

Read an intersting article in Bernama today. Some of us Netizens have set-up several polling sites for Malaysian Indians to vote, who they think would be the best candidate to hold positions in the party. This is a good move to allow some of us to see how the leaders are being evaluate.
These sites can be viewed at: www.micelection2009.com, www.micpolls2009.com, www.micelections2009.com and micfuture2009.blogspot.com.
Thank You and God Bless.

Monday, August 31, 2009

MERDEKA WISHES

I had just returned from the annual National Day celebrations. It was a very low key affair compared to the previous years. It was held at the Parliament square and attended by some 2,000 people.

It was a bit nostalgic for me to witness this event after watching parades of years gone-by. The previous National Day parades were held at Dataran Merdeka or state capitals with so much pomp and splendour.

This year's celebration was scaled down due to the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic which has swept around the globe claiming hundreds if not thousands of lives. This is the price we have to pay living in a border less world, where travel had become a norm rather than an exception.

However small the celebration, it is a day for us to ponder and think of the nation's independence. This comes at the right time when there are numerous people taking a racial and religious slant on issues that crop-up from time to time.

The 1Malaysia concept propounded by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is another reminder that we Malaysians must live our lives as Malaysians and not as Malay, Chinese and Indian.

While our race may differ, but our nationality is one -- Malaysian. No citizens of this nation should ever forget that. We are Malaysian first and only then are we Malay, Chinese or Indian.

We may be in a racially slanted political party but that party should operate in the context of 1Malaysia. It is my Merdeka wish that all of us Malaysians do away with the habit of branding people using their race, religion or even colour. We are Malaysians and Malaysians we would be, whatever come may.

Thank You and God Bless.

MIC Elections

I am back...to blogging that is. As many would know the MIC would hold it's party election on Sept 12. This is regarded by many as a water shed election for the party to pick the next line of leaders, to take MIC to a higher plane in the future.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who was elected unopposed at the MIC presidential election in March this year, has picked his own line-up of leaders for the party polls.

The 1,464 delegates to the MIC assembly on March 12 would pick a deputy president, three vice presidents and 23 central working committee (CWC) members.
Incumbent deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel is the president's choice to retain the post.

The president's men for the three veep seats are Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk S. K. Devamany and myself.

A total 27 candidates have been named by the president to fill in the 23 CWC seats.

As for the deputy presidency, Datuk Palanivel would be challenged by vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan and former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam.

While this looks like a tough fight, Datuk Palanivel seems to have the edge over the other two candidates based on his support from Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu. Another factor is the track record of the deputy president, in this case Datuk Palanivel.

In the veep race, all three of us -- Datuk Dr Subramaniam, Datuk Devamany and myself -- seem to be leading the seven cornered race. The other candidates here are Datuk S. Balakishnan of Johor, Datuk V.K.K. Teagarajan of Kuala Lumpur, P. Subramaniam of Selangor and Mariyayee of Negeri Sembilan.

I do not intend to offend any of the other candidates but delegates that I have met, have openly declared their support for the presidential trio. Some say that we would win.

However, I am cautious. Politics is not something that is taken for granted. There are still 12 days to go before delegates to go the polls and in politics 12-days is a very long time, especially when things can change overnight.

In the meantime, I am currently on a nationwide campaign tour to ensure delegates voted for the right people.

This is all for now. I would be updating this blog from time to time on issues that crop-up in this party election. However, I would refrain from naming people in my articles as this could jeopardise their chances.

Please bear with me as the last few months had been hectic and this had prevented me from blogging actively. I am enclosing a Bernama article released today. It can be viewed at http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newspolitic.php?id=436994

Thank You and God Bless.