MIC banking on Malay Indian vote to win Hulu Selangor poll

Kuala Lumpur, Apr.15 (ANI): The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and its deputy president G. Palanivel are reportedly going all out to woo the Indian community to win the parliamentary seat of Hulu Selangor on April 25.

According to The Star, the MIC is focusing all its meagre resources on winning over the 19,000 Indian voters, nearly one-third of whom work and live outside the constituency.

It is a major task to identify and persuade them to come back and vote for the party, especially when most of them are young and some having tasted rebellion after taking part in the November 25, 2007 HINDRAF protest in Kuala Lumpur.

According to The Star, this parliamentary bye-election is being seen as the moment of truth for the MIC.

It may be recalled that the MIC was battered in the 2008 general election losing in six of nine parliamentary and 12 of 19 state constituencies it contested.

It was the biggest blow ever against MIC.

Despite the setback, S. Samy Vellu stayed on winning a 13th term as MIC president and attempted to rebrand the dispirited party, but the outcome is nothing to shout about.

The MIC tested itself at the Bukit Selambau by-election in Kedah in April 2009 but PKR newcomer S. Manikumar defeated its candidate, S. Ganesan, a MIC veteran.

The MIC is testing its mettle again in the April 25 Hulu Selangor by-election and it is hoping to do better this time by not only winning the Indian vote, but also that of the other communities in this Malay majority constituency held by the MIC since 1990.

Most likely the Barisan will select the tested veteran Palanivel who is to face another Goliath in PKR supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim.

The nomination is take place on Saturday. (ANI)