Intransigence: MIC vs. IPF

Madam Sri Jayashree, IPF new president and the wife to the late Tan Sri M.G.Pandithan said she is in full control of the party and will continue to champion the rights of poor Malaysian Indians. The deceased was once upon time a loyal lieutenant to Dato’ Seri Samy Vellu. He was a good Tamil orator who was going all the corner of the country to persuade the delegate’s to elect DSSV as a president of the party against the then hand picked Dato’ Subramaniam who was then party Secretary General. End of the day, DSSV win the battle with majority of 26 votes [please correct me if I’m wrong. Some said it was 35 votes]. That was the early day in 1980’s. MGP rise in Indian political platform and was said the right man to replace DSSV. Unfortunately, DSSV has perceived him as a threat for his position especially after he makes a team with The Late Dato’ Padma and DS to challenge DSSV politically at the end of 1980’s. Those were the years when we have many capable leaders but many of them were removed because they was categorised as a threat to the party leadership. DSSV decided unilaterally to remove MGP and the rest is history in Malaysian Indian politics.

MGP started IPF and initially was collaborating with "Semangat 46" (the then umno splinter group lead by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah). In 1990 election, Indians vote swing by half to the opposition due to the presence of IPF as an alternative to MIC. Later when MGP understood he can’t materialised his political ambition while remaining in opposition camp, he decided to terminate his relationship with Semangat 46 and stand independently as a loyalist to BN. Year by year, MGP will invite BN Chairman to their annual general meeting and most of the time will spend thousand of ringgit just to garland the VIP’s. In one of the agm, MGP import the “Malai” straight from Tamil Nadu, India which cost around RM30 thousands. Logically it’s waste of money but then psychologically, MGP believe he can persuade the then prime minister and BN Chairman TDM to accept IPF into BN fold. As a kind of appreciation to IPF as an illegal BN loyalist, TDM appoint MGP as a Senator and into the GLC’s as a director to board of director's yet BN couldn’t register the party as a legal loyalist due to the objection from MIC and DSSV specifically. Basically BN’s principal was a “consensus decision from all the members” before accepting new member to the family. MIC was the only party who was against the idea to accept IPF. Various reason was given, “MIC is only party for the Malaysian Indian’s”, “MIC seat will be given to IPF if they are allowed to be part of BN” etc but another untold factor was DSSV himself. Time has passed and before the last breath of MGP, they reconcile and forget about the past (I believe, it’s genuine).

No one can deny IPF was formed as a struggle of a single man, MGP. Political analyst used to ask, what’s next after him? Whether they will dissolve and re-join the parent’s party or will remain as an illegal loyalist to BN? Being an illegal loyalist will not guarantee any political profit to the party but so far the leadership refuse to joint the opposition camp. They still put a hope, one day BN will accept them as a member which I don’t believe will happen in any near time but then the dream can come into force if MIC refuse to reform and leadership try to fool the community with the so-called “re-branding strategy.” If MIC fail to re-bounce in next 10 years while other component members are progressing, BN might take a drastic decision to accept the IPF membership by out doing the "consensus" policy with "majority decision."

After past mistakes, I believe MGP did a political error by appointing his wife Madam Sri Jayashree to continue the party’s struggle. In her first interview after three month’s [after her husband passed away], she said IPF will continue to be a loyalist to BN and never cross their mind to join the PR. Today, the reality in IPF especially after the appointment of Sri Jayashree as a president was the party divided to three camps. The MGP loyalist who pledged their loyalty to Jayashree at one camp, party deputy president camp and the third camp is a loyalist to former IPF secretary general K.Panjamurthi. It’s just a matter of time, the party will go to chaos due to the great turbulence in party leadership and failure to represent the dye-hard supporters at grass root level. The reality the party leadership fail to concede was their failure to breakthrough the under privilege Indian community status although they pro-claimed representing the community. The so-called great contributions was only the "IPF house," which was build out of the poor and dye-hard supporters money with the un-settled debts.

Politically I believe, if “people-centric” was the ideology of both MIC and IPF, then this is the right time for the conciliation and move together for the betterment of Indian community. Both parties are struggling for the same reason, to eradicate poverty, solving welfare and health issues, educations, religions and reforming the community to be an independent community. If both parties have the same vision then why can’t they walk together as a single party? In-fact majority of IPF member’s was MIC member too and I don’t see any obstacle’s for both party to reconcile other than personnel antagonism.

The tangible reality in both parties is “weakness in political capability and leadership failure” to perform and fulfil the vision and mission of the political struggle yet why pretending as though the party have succeeded in the struggle. Antagonist must be removed from both parties, if they are the blocking tomb in reconciliation process. Community is more important rather than individual. Stop the rhetoric and work for the betterment of the community. Let the PR fulfil their promises and people will evaluate their performance when times come. Politically speaking it’s much better to put the house in right path before going after the PR. Reform the party rather than rhetoric rebranding. Intransigence will not help the party for the long run. Reform or Become Irrelevant.[end]