From The Malaysian Insider
By Debra Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim succeeded today in bringing into PKR ex-MIC vice president Datuk S.S. Subramaniam and the members of 12 MIC branches.
The senior ex-MIC man brought with him his younger brother and some 2,500 members from 12 MIC branches within Petaling Jaya and Meru, Klang into the PKR fold.
The defections were touted as a boost for the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but it is unclear how significant Subramaniam’s move is, considering he has little influence left in the Barisan Nasional (BN) party.
But coming on the heels of former MCA vice-president Datuk Chua Jui Meng’s defection into PKR last week, Anwar will be hoping to gain some momentum from Subramaniam’s decision to join PKR.
Besides Subramaniam and Chua, Anwar had also succeeded in attracting former Umno minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim into PKR as attempts to strengthen his party’s position as a lynchpin in PR.
He will also be hoping the defections can bolster his party’s and PR’s claims of being a truly multiracial platform in his quest to dethrone BN and take federal power.
Speaking before the mostly Indian crowd numbering some 300 people at a function announcing the defections, Anwar told them the questionable deaths in detention of Teoh Beng Hock and A. Kugan were linked, rousing their interest.
He told them the two dead men were linked because they had both suffered class persecution at the hands of the wealthy BN government, which had failed their duty “to protect the rights of ordinary Malaysian citizens.”
“There are two laws: one law for the big men, and one law for the poor,” the Permatang Pauh MP said, working the crowd into a fever.
They exploded into thunderous applause and cheers when he delivered his last pitch: “I’m not an Indian but I’m here giving you my solemn oath that I’ll defend the rights of every Malaysian citizen.”
Subramaniam said he had been supportive of PKR’s multiracial, multicultural policies for a long time.
But for him personally, it was the government’s flip on education policies, particularly the teaching mathematics and science in English that finally convinced him that change could only come with PR.
Subramaniam said it was Anwar’s timely meet with him last week, beseeching him to “come and help” tell the Indian community that their only hope lay with PR, which prompted his leap to the other side.
He stressed that he did not cross over to gain any plump position within PKR, when asked if he had been promised a spot in the party leadership.
“I’ve already had that,” smiled Subramaniam, whose last government role was as parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in 1995.
“Before I go, I want to do something for the people of this country,” said the 72-year-old.
“In Barisan Nasional, MIC occupies the lowest place,” he said, stressing that the party was wracked by in-fighting caused by party chief Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s preferential treatment towards members of his own caste.
It is an open secret that Subramaniam had opposed Samy Vellu on many occasions, causing him to be dropped from the vice-president’S post in 1994 in favour of his successor who bears a similar name, Dr S. Subramaniam.
“But what we must have is a country that is united in diversity,” said Subramaniam.
But the MIC Taman Perangsang branch chief has yet to actually hand in his MIC quit papers and PKR membership form. He told reporters later that he would do so next week.
Subramaniam said he had yet to hear from Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu directly, but added that he heard from a second-hand source his ex-party boss badmouthing him in a Tamil Nesan newspaper report yesterday.
There was little more left to say to his ex-boss, he said.
Dear Datuk Subra, this action actualy much be taken very long ago. Anyhow WELCOME to PKR and please work together with DSAI for the unity of Malaysian Indian.
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ck@superboy Reply:
July 27th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Salam Keadilan dan Salam Reformasi YAB DSAI dan YAB DSWA,
Saya ada dengar Pak Lah akan masuk PAS atau PKR betul ke? Selamat Datang Pak Lah ke 1Malaysia or 1BlackMalaysia.
Satu 1 Ogos 2009 ialah HARI ANTI DAN PRO ISA………hehehehehe
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Telok belangan telok karim
jww birch mati di tikam
kepada datuk zaid ibrahim
selamat datang the most welcome
Pandang ke langit nampak komeng
kasih sayang terhadap binatang
Kepada dato seri chua jui ming
saya ucapkan selamat datang
pergi ke hutan tangkap kera
lalu masuk ke gua niah
kepada dato ss subra
jamil ucapkan sekalung tahniah.
pergi ceramah ke tmn melewar
sambil makan buah berangan
kepada dato seri anwar
terus lawan teruskan perjuangan
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PANTUN NAMPAK!!!! KER BODEK….
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Tahniah kepada Datuk S.S. Subramaniam.
Apakah ini satu lagi petanda perjuangan PKR telah bergerak di landasan yang betul? Jangan lalai dan alpa pada janji-janji sebagai pejuang rakyat. Kentalkan semangat berjuang dan berkhidmat untuk rakyat tanpa memilih pangkat dan derajat seseorang. Yang bersalah tetap bersalah seharusnya dihukum dan yang benar tetap benar seharusnya dibela dengan adil.
Kalau sekadar bertempik tanpa melakukan yang dijanjikan pastinya kelak akan hancur PKR dan sekaligus Pakatan Rakyat. Para pemimpin harus peka pada isu-isu rakyat dan semestinya mereka mahu menerima teguran dan laporan rakyat dengan hati terbuka, namun pada ‘rakyat palsu’ yang bersungguh-sungguh hendak memecah-belahkan PR sepatutnya diheret kehadapan dengan amaran keras bahwa perjuangan PR bukan untuk 4 – 5 tahun tetapi untuk selama-lamanya demi rakyat yang inginkan keADILan.
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I sincerely hope these former BN leaders genuinely want to work for a better Malaysia and not jostle for positions. Afterall, positions on earth are created by man, but a place in Heaven is God’s gift for the righteous.
Pakatan have the unenviable task of defeating evil forces arrayed against them. Petty quarrels and in-fighting will help the enemies instead.
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I sincerely hope these former BN leaders genuinely want to work for a better Malaysia and not jostle for positions. Afterall, positions on earth are created by man, but a place in Heaven is God’s gift to the righteous.
Pakatan have the unenviable task of defeating evil forces arrayed against them. Petty quarrels and in-fighting will help the enemies instead.
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Datuk SSS was a DAP man before joining MIC. He left DAP because of no future there. MIC took him to the level of Parlimentary secretary…and now he enjoys a very handsome retirement benefit and pension because of MIC. Where got caste in MIC…look around you and your MIC collegues like Datuk Subra, many of whom are ADUNs and parlimentarian even..your statement is utter bullshit. Moreven when you join hand with Datuk Seri Anwar and you say you have confident in DatuK Seri Najib as PM…. You are a worn out funny man like and so are the bunch of people with you so is Chua Jui Meng. Be an asset if you go anywhere and not a liability.
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u most welcome datuk..jom ramai2 masuk pr
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Sorry! To little and to late! Selangor will be the next lost state!
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As i have written several time in Malaysia Today, PKR has to get the right candidate for the right job. Numbers may appeal, however, performance is what that counts. Apart from performance, PKR must have a team to strategise on strategy, an execution team. To have these, the team must be strengthened.
For instance, apart from having the right candidate as Parlimentarian or Assemblyman, PR must have candidates who are qualifies as political secretaries. What that is seen recently on the demise of Mr. Teoh Beng Hock, i find that political secretaries of PR are not only week. They seem to serve as secretaries instead of as advisors and strategist who could sit as a team to brain storm. Perhaps, PR lacks the time and experience. now is the time to build and strengthens the leak.
If PKR takes in too many of BN people, the culture may then be assimilated in PR, this is where the concerns of “frog leaping” and buying of “interest” may surface.
Get the right candidate……… there are a lot to be done. MPs and Assemblymen must be willing to serve not for their own agenda. PR has no room for second but theer are room for second to none!
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Bumi Ownz U Reply:
July 29th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Najib has an execution team already, its called MACC and Najib… explosives, very effective at executing women and throwing men off buildings.
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