Samy Vellu paper blames MCA, Soi Lek for GAS

By Baradan Kuppusamy
June 06, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu's Tamil Nesan newspaper added today the MCA, its The Star newspaper and Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as forces behind the Anti-Samy Vellu Movement (GAS).
The MCA, its newly-elected president and the daily it controls are the latest to be accused by the newspaper after it also recently blamed Datuk S. Subramaniam and Umno as the “hidden hands” behind GAS.
In a front page story today the Tamil Nesan fired a broadside at the MCA, Dr Chua and The Star as forces behind GAS.
The paper said The Star was previously supportive of the MIC and its programmes but had suddenly switched camps and was now giving undue prominence to the GAS movement.
It also accused Dr Chua of fuelling the GAS movement as a way to turn public attention away from the problems the MCA faced from the Chinese community which is said to have rejected the party.
The Star has been giving prominence to GAS and statements by its founder V. Mugilan, the former MIC deputy youth chief who was promoted as the candidate by Umno for the recent Hulu Selangor by-election in place of former incumbent Datuk G. Palanivel.
Samy Vellu pushed for Palanivel but Umno felt his unpopularity would put off majority Malay voters.
In the end Samy Vellu and Umno compromised in MIC Information Chief P. Kamalanathan who won the seat narrowly, defeating Pakatan Rakyat (PR) big gun Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
The Malaysian Insider understands the last straw for the Samy Vellu camp was a story in The Star on Saturday in which Mugilan is quoted as questioning the millions of ringgit collected in the name of AIMST University.
The story, played down in other mainstream dailies, received a page-lead treatment in The Star.
Mugilan wanted to know what happened to the money and demanded that Samy Vellu account for the collection.
He also wanted to know how RM330 million in government grants for AIMST University was spent and asked Samy Vellu to provide the answers.
“Pure rubbish,” said Mugilan about any connection with the MCA. “They are getting desperate and simply firing away at anything that moves.”
The GAS movement was set up to force Samy Vellu, who has announced he would step down next “July or September” to retire on July 10, at the 64th annual general meeting of the MIC which is to be declared open by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
It is understood the Prime Minister is “very reluctant” to do the favour for Samy Vellu and might send a representative unless Samy Vellu agrees to leave soon.
Barisan Nasional (BN) needs him out of the way for the MIC to reform under a new leader and offer new agenda and hope for the Indian community.
“The first step in transformation is for Samy to go,” said a senior BN leader. “But he is clinging on for 32 years…it’s simply amazing how much he loves power even if the ship is sinking.”
By attacking the MCA, The Tamil Nesan, seen as the mouthpiece of Samy Vellu and his family, is giving the wrong signal to the MIC rank and file and the Indian community and further eroding BN’s standing among the public.
Samy Vellu’s son, Vel Paari who is managing director of Tamil Nesan, would not have allowed the story through without his father’s blessing, MIC sources said.
“Clearly they are taking on the MCA, The Star, GAS and even UMNO,” an MIC insider said adding the family is throwing caution to the winds by asking MCA to leave BN and dredging up the sex scandal involving Dr Chua.