In today's newspaper, MIC president and Sungai Siput MP S Samy Vellu announced that he will contest in Sungai Siput constituency in the coming general election.

No one, not even Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has made any announcement on who should contest where and so on. Samy has made similar statements during ex premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's regime, and I believe such practices is related to his large ego.

In the last elections in 1999, there was a tough fight between Samy and Dr D Jeyakumar Devaraj. Samy could only manage to win by a mere 5,000 or so votes.

Barisan Nasional should consider a young, dedicated and clean candidate for Sungai Siput and urge Samy to retire from mainstream politics. Let him remain as MIC president, since he has been elected by 'his' selected delegates.

The people are really tired of this man. I dare the government to have an open polling and seek public opinion on his popularity. Do the same also to all ministers before the prime minister re-nominates them back into cabinet.