MIC supporters disrupt Klang anti-Samy Vellu rally (Updated)

By EDWARD R. HENRY

KLANG: MIC members and supporters gate-crashed the second anti-Samy Vellu rally here Sunday and brought it to an early end.

Former Taman Maznah MIC chairman S. Chandran and former Klang division chairman K. Tharmalingam headed the group of about 50 people, who became embroiled in heated debates with those attending the rally, resulting in minor scuffles outside and in the hall.

The group, claiming to be loyal to party chief Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, had gathered at the venue even before the event was scheduled to start at 1pm.

"Don't ever utter a word about MIC. You must not mention Samy Vellu's name. Get out of this hall as you have no place here," Chandran told rally supporters, before barging into the hall around 2pm.

Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) leaders V. Mugilan and G. Kumar Aamaan, together with rally organiser K.P. Samy, a former MIC central working committee member who was sacked earlier, clashed verbally with the hostile group inside the hall.

The shouting between the two groups grew louder as Chandran challenged the organisers, with minor scuffles erupting near the stage.

In an attempted to cool tempers, Aamaan held up a book, The Life of Mahatma Gandhi by Louis Fisher, and began to chant "Ahimsa" (which means non-violence in Sanskrit) and people in the hall followed suit.

Policemen entered the hall around 2.10pm to keep the situation from getting out of control.

The organisers ended the gathering of 1,500 at 3pm, two hours earlier than scheduled, on the advice of the Klang police chief.

Samy called for press conference on the stage and handed out a four-page memorandum to the press.

"We are unable to hold a peaceful gathering as Samy Vellu sent his gangsters to wreak havoc. All we wanted to do was chart out the future of the Indians in this nation and get their support, which would be handed to the Prime Minister," he said.

The four-page memorandum contained nine issues, including calling for the government to lower the schooling age to five, reduce personal tax, establish kindergartens within existing Tamil schools, rehabilitate prisoners and redefine poverty.

Mugilan also called for Samy Vellu to step down.

Samy Vellu announced earlier that he would step down in 2012 and not on July 10, as demanded by his critics.

Klang Police Chief Asst Comm Muhammad Mat Yusop said 60 policemen, together with the light strike force, were deployed to keep the situation in control.