Ever since I journeyed into cyberspace and joined the blogging community, I have been inundated with calls to work towards the dissolution of MIC or to join a multi-racial party.

Invariably, the calls come from Malaysians of Indian origin. Why are they so eager to see MIC dissolved?

barisan nasional MCA, Gerakan and Umno suffered equally in the last general election but we seldom hear the Chinese or the Malays asking these parties to close shop. Is this because the other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties in Peninsular Malaysia played their role and MIC didn't?

The election results clearly showed that a substantial number of voters were unhappy with the ruling coalition as a whole. Yes, we accept the results and have gone back to the drawing board, both as a component party and collectively as a coalition.

Our policies, attitudes and implementation must be reviewed and we intend to set things right.

The noblest argument, put forth by some, as to why MIC should be dissolved is that Malaysia is moving away from race-based politics.

I agree that Malaysia should move away from such politics, but is this the reality on the ground? Are we truly above and beyond race in Malaysia?

Granted that the results of the last election have given us reason to believe so, but we must also not forget that 'a single sallow does not a summer make'.

The next general election and the one after will provide clearer indicators. The results from the two elections will determine if 2008 has indeed ushered in a changing trend.

We have multiracial parties both in BN and Pakatan Rakyat. I salute them. But show me one so-called multiracial party that has escaped the racial composition of its members. Each has its 'dominant race' and most of the key positions are held by members of this race, while the rest are accorded ornamental positions to fulfill its quota of multiracialism.

Are these parties willing to break free of the racial composition of its members and promote anyone based solely on ability?

dap logo The party that has a semblance of being multiracial is DAP. I remember it having at different points in time, a Malay, Chinese and an Indian as its chairperson. However, the party didn't make much headway until the last election because it lacked the support of Malays. It still sees a need to champion Chinese-based issues to hold on to its Chinese vote bank.

On the other side of the fence, Gerakan has made genuine attempts but still has not been able to shake off its Chinese flavour. The reality is that we are still far from race-free politics despite the existence of multiracial parties.

Return to MIC

Who are those calling for the MIC’s dissolution? The most vocal are non-members, people who did not vote for or support MIC to begin with. So what difference does it make to this group whether or not the party continues to exist?

What is their exigency in seeing the demise of MIC? Could this be supporters of the opposition who fear that MIC might make a strong comeback in the next polls?

For democracy to flourish, is it not wiser to encourage the birth rather than the death of parties? So in that context, let MIC be, as an option for the voters, if not for anything else.

On that note, I would also like to see the same voices on a crusade against race-based parties to call for the dissolution of religion-based parties as well. These can be more divisive than race-based parties. Why has this inconvenient truth been ignored?

s murugesan I am all for race-free politics and a Malaysia for Malaysians. I regard myself as being a Malaysian above all else. My father is an Indian, my mother a Chinese and I look like a Malay. My friends say that when I speak Bahasa Malaysia, I sound like one too. So there you have it.

Some of those calling for MIC's dissolution could be well meaning, but it is recklessly naïve to call for the dismantling of an Indian-based party when others in the equation are unprepared to do so. Are we on a higher moral ground to dissolve MIC and call for race-free politics? Yes, perhaps. But are we being prudent? Definitely no.

For those who claim that MIC has not done anything for the Indian community, here are some facts and figures:

• MIC, through it education arm MIED, has disbursed over RM85 million in scholarships and study loans to deserving Indian Malaysians over the last 23 years. It is currently assisting 1,200 Indian Malaysians studying worldwide, through study loans. Most of these loans are only recovered after legal action is threatened.

• Annually, MIED encourages academic excellence among Indian students by identifying and awarding top achievers in the UPSR, PMR, SPM and STPM examinations.

• MIED has prepared and printed workbooks for Tamil school students sitting the UPSR examination and has distributed these free of charge. There has been a marked improvement in the students' achievement since this programme was introduced.

• Tafe College has produced tens of thousands of para-professionals. And let’s not forget, the setting up of the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology University in Baling, Kedah.

• MIC's social arm, Yayasan Pemulihan Sosial, handles an average of 30 cases a day.

• The party assisted over 4,000 Indian Malaysians in obtaining micro-credit loans amounting to RM40 million for business start-ups in 2005 and another 2,000 last year.

The list is not exhaustive but it reveals the MIC’s socio-political commitment. Contrary to allegations, the party did not just sit in a corner doing nothing. Could we have done more? Perhaps.

election ballot box peti undi The March 8 elections made us sit up and take notice of this. It was a wake-up call that jolted the leaders and members. We have since resolved to re-examine our priorities and the way we handle issues.

I acknowledge that keeping silent when one is required to speak up amounts to failure to discharge one's duty as a leader.

Now, when the voters have achieved their objective of opening the eyes of those in power, why are some hell-bent on closing the eyes of the party for good?

There are countless number of MIC branch heads, youths, women, Puteri and Putera members who have and are genuinely working tirelessly for the Indian community, with no expectation of reward other than to see the community and nation progress.

Reprimand MIC for our mistakes and reprove us if you will, as you did in the last elections, but please don't allow some loud voices deny the good that it has done.

samy vellu and mic 160408 There are also those demanding the resignation of MIC president S Samy Vellu in view of the party's poor performance in the general election. They should remember that he is the elected president of the party. Whether he resigns or not before the end of his term is his decision to make.

Those calling for the dissolution of the party have no right to call for the president to resign as they only want to see MIC destroyed. Let the party decide if it needs a new president.

In success and failure alike, no one person is responsible.

It's unfair and unbecoming to attribute the failure to one man, no matter how high his post is or how long he has been at the helm. It's easy to go with the tide and blame everything on one man or one party. It takes character to stand against the wave and put things in perspective.

All MIC members, as in the party’s success, also have a share in its failure. As a central working committee member and a former candidate, I take full responsibility for my role in the poor showing of MIC in the general election. I will work towards putting things right and so will my colleagues, I believe.

The voters have exercised their democratic rights and their sentiments have been noted. MIC is looking both inwards and outwards to see what went wrong. If we get our act together by the next election, vote us in. If we don't, vote us out. This is democracy.

Until such a time arrives when all BN component parties decide to merge to form, not only a multiracial party, but a race-free party, MIC will remain relevant to the community and this nation.

S MURUGESAN is a MIC central working committee member.