PKR rep piles pressure on Samy Vellu
PKR parliamentarian N Gobalakrishnan is not about to give up his pursuit for answers from MIC head S Samy Vellu over issues involving two educational institutions set up for the Indian Malaysian community.
PKR parliamentarian N Gobalakrishnan is not about to give up his pursuit for answers from MIC head S Samy Vellu over issues involving two educational institutions set up for the Indian Malaysian community.
He has written to Samy Vellu (left), seeking an appointment to discuss the status of the Maju Institute of Education Development (MIED) and the administration of Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology University (Aimst).
This follows a ‘courtesy call’ on Nov 4 by Gobalakrishnan and three other MPs - Rashid Din (PKR-Merbok), Goh Kheng Huat (DAP-Nibong Tebal) and Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri (PKR-Bagan Serai) - to clear the doubts raised recently.
“We are requesting an appointment because we are dissatisfied with the answers given by (MIED founding member and former MIC vice-president KS) Nijhar who received us on the president’s behalf,” he told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.
“If (Samy Vellu) does not respond with a suitable time on any Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of November, then we will proceed with holding a roundtable discussion in Parliament.”
Gobalakrishnan (right) said the meeting is important because of great anxiety among the Indian Malaysian community, in the wake of Samy Vellu’s remarks in September that he will step down from his party post soon to spend time in MIED and Aimst.
Samy Vellu claimed that these entities are separate from the MIC, prompting an outcry from other Indian leaders. Aimst is operated by MIED, which functions as the education arm of MIC.
Complaint about treatment
The letter also expresses Gobalakrishnan’s disappointment with the hostility with which his party was treated on Nov 4, especially from “a group of youths led by (MIC Youth chief) T Mohan.”
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When we went to MIED, we were met by Nijhar (right) and some 200-300 MIC Youth members, who were acting like gangsters (and who) welcomed us in a rough and dirty manner,” he said.
He claimed to have received a phone call earlier that day from a MIC member, warning him that he would be “roughed up” if he went ahead with the visit.
The party of four had, however, received protection from “20-30” plainclothes and uniformed police officers, whom Gobalakrishnan had informed two days prior to the visit.
He further urged Samy Vellu to respond openly to his queries, like other parties that he has visited in a similar capacity, instead of demanding a written request.
“When we wanted to visit Kuala Lumpur International Airport six months ago, (the authorities) did not insist on an appointment, but openly welcomed us,” he added.
