By NNN-Bernama
Kuala Lumpur : Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) president S. Samy Vellu Sunday declared in the presence of the Prime Minister and over 21,000 party members and supporters that the MIC is more than ready to face the upcoming general election.
An upbeat Samy Vellu also pledged to deliver the Indian votes to the Barisan Nasional (BN).
Samy Vellu said he had been criss-crossing the country recently, holding gatherings with MIC members, community leaders and interested groups, and “the mood is very favourable to us (BN)”.
Addressing the party’s mammoth gathering in the run-up to the imminent general election at the Badminton Stadium in Cheras here, the Works Minister said he was confident the Indian voters would once again give their full backing to the Barisan Nasional (BN).
“Let us show to the country that the Indian community fully supports the Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional.
“Let us prove in the general election that our destiny rests solely with Umno, MCA and other Barisan component parties,” he told the crowd, comprising mostly youths carrying banners and placards expressing support for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Barisan Nasional.
Samy Vellu called on the Indians to unite and continue to back the Barisan government for their continued survival.
In describing Abdullah as “our leader and the leader for all Malaysians”, Samy Vellu said the Prime Minister was willing to listen to the Indian community’s grievances and take steps to rectify them.
“His ears are always open to listen and resolve the problems and grievances of all Malaysians,” he said.
Samy Vellu said Indians have been loyal supporters of the Barisan since the country’s first general election in 1959 and they will continue to rally behind the 14-party coalition.
“Nobody can deny this fact,” he said, adding that the party admitted that Indians did not form a majority in any parliamentary or state constituency.
He, however, said the Indians constituted between 10 and 30 per cent of the voters in at least 62 parliamentary and 130 state constituencies.
“Our vote counts and we are not only senior but also valuable partners in the Barisan,” he said.
Samy Vellu acknowledged that there were still many unresolved grievances within the Indian community.
“At the heart of the problem are many issues related to delivery and implementation by the civil service and local government. We have been asking the Prime Minister for a special mechanism which will not only monitor but also ensure many more Indians can plug into the public sector provisions,” he said.
Samy Vellu said the MIC was confident Abdullah would ensure in the remaining two-and-a-half years of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the government machinery would give special attention to the grievances of the Malaysian Indian community.
He also took a swipe at certain political forces who were working to weaken Indian representation in the government.
“They continue to attack the MIC and its leaders by distorting information and confusing the hearts and minds of ordinary Malaysian Indians,” he said, urging the Indian community to be watchful against such elements.