MIC WILL NOT REGAIN SUPPORT IF SAMY VELLU STAYS ON

PETALING JAYA, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- The MIC will continue to lose the support of the Indian community if Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu continues to lead the party, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said the MIC was getting weaker and it could not be restored as long as Samy continued to hold the reins.

"MIC is weak because of Samy Vellu, I heard many Indians talked about it, they are not supporting MIC now because of Samy Vellu.

"Actually before the 2008 general election a tv station had asked me what is going to happen to MIC, I said as long as Samy Vellu is there, MIC will lose. It is correct and he lost," Dr Mahathir told reporters after presenting Aidilfitri aid and the Perkim President Seri Cemerlang Award here today.

He was commenting on Samy''s disapproval of his (Dr Mahathir''s) remarks published by Makkal Osai, a Tamil newspaper, that former MIC deputy president Datuk S.Subramaniam would be a good leader to lead the MIC.

Subramaniam is vying for the MIC deputy presidency at the MIC 63rd general assembly tomorrow.

"When he (Makkal Osai) asked for my opinion, I did not realise the party''s elections is around the corner. I gave my opinion, if he (Samy) stays on, MIC cannot be revived. Now the Indian community is divided into eight parties.

"Previously, all of them supported MIC, not many are supporting MIC now and they gave the same reason - they are fed up of Samy Vellu, who wants to hold the reins until nobody else can take over from him. Whoever becomes his deputy, when they were getting popular, he finished them of," he said.

On Samy Vellu''s allegation that he (Dr Mahathir) had neglected the Indian community, he said it was not true as he had helped all communities and not only the Malays.

"A newspaper had quoted him as saying that I had never helped the Indian community. When I called him from Syria then, he denied it.

"When I came back, the newspaper played the tape for me. It was true he did say that I had never helped the Indian community," he added.

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