The Only Good Indian, So It Seems, Is A Dead Indian

The MIC president and federal works minister, Dato' Seri S. Samy Vellu, could not do enough to destroy his party nemesis, Dato' K. Pathmanaban when he was alive. But with Dato' Pathmanaban's death of kidney failure on June 9, he cannot now do more to preserve his memory. The crocodile tears he shed at the memorial was an act to watch. He now announces proudly that the cabinet is to name a road after him. Coming shortly after the late NUPW chief, Mr P.P. Narayanan, is similarly honoured, it points to the MIC leader's mindset. The only Indians he can be proud of are those dead. He has utter contempt for his cronies, making and breaking them at will.

Those who stand up to him are particular targets of his venom. One singled out for particular mention was the late Dato' Pathmanaban. On two counts. First, he was not his choice, but Malaysia's second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak's. Two, he was a Malayalee. A Malayalee has a political future in the MIC only if he is prepared to forget his culture and heritage; that Dato' Pathmanaban could keep both and make his presence felt is proof of his genius. The man should have been co-opted into the party circles to provide the intellectual frame the MIC badly needed; instead he was isolated. He has no truck with leaders with their own mind, which accounts for the parlous state the MIC is in now.

But with Dato' Pathmanaban's death, he takes a 180-degree turn. His death is a terrible loss to the community, he could not offer to do enough, and now he wants a road named after him. Yet, he kept quiet when the Tan Sriship he was to have recieved was hijacked by a senior officer in the Prime Minister's department. Dato' Samy would not recommend him for any national award. The Tan Sriship was offered him by the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan in his final year as Yang Dipertuan Agung.

The Indian community, especially the MIC, ignores its great sons. The MIC recommends Indians for awards for purely political reasons, which includes absolute loyalty, and subservience, to the president. Obviously, he then surrounds himself with acolytes prepared to throw their self-respect to the winds. Two weeks ago, I walked into a government educational instituion and found, to my pleasant surprise, so many Indians heading departments that when I mentioned this to a senior MIC official, he was surprised and could not believe it. But it is those Indians who keep Indian self-respect flying, not the bandicoots who surround the MIC president.

It is this narrow view that the only Indians qualified to be in politics must be Tamils from what was once known as the Madras Presidency, and who challenge the MIC president -- other National Front component party leaders think likewise, beginning with the Prime Minister himself in UMNO -- should be forced out. But when death removes them, they can safely be given the highest honours. So, a road is named for Dato' Pathmanaban, possibly the most principled of MIC leaders in the past thirty years. So highly does Dato' Seri Samy view it that he would be treated better than Malaysia's third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn, without a road named after him a decade after his death. Neither Tun Hussein nor Dato' Pathmanaban need political intervention to be remembered: but how they are treated, one by playing to the gallery and the other by totally ignoring his memory is proof of their greatness.

Dato' Pathmanaban's friends raise funds in his memory for his pet project, the Medical College he helped set up in Malacca. Dato' Samy is, was, all but dismissive of it. For a good reason. When the project was mooted, Dato' Seri Samy felt slighted, moved heaven and earth to have the MIC steal a march to set up its medical college first. The cabinet was canvassed, and he got his wish. But can he push it through? I doubt it. He wants all Indians to contribute handsomely to the project. They are unlikely to. It is an article of faith amongst Indians that such contributions -- few have forgotten the Maika scandal -- end up misused.

Besides, only he has this rosy view of the Indian community doing well. He virtually ignored it, and when he did help out, it landed thousands of Indians in bankruptcy. He would not listen to people like Dato' Pathmanaban, instead went out to prove people like him were wrong. When MIC organised a lottery to fund educational projects, the winners were, surprise, surprise, MIC officials. When public contributions were sought to fund Maike Holdings, it was so badly mismanaged that today it is wholly owned by one S. Samy Vellu.

So, it is not surprising that Dato' Seri Samy's current concern is to keep Dato' Pathmanaban's memory alive. This intention to name a road after him is serious. He announced it, as policy decisions are made known in this country, after introducing a book "Mission Save Earth" two Indian globetrotters wrote. But is there a road named after his predecessor, Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam? There is one after Senator Athi Nahappan, who died at a function to mark his appoint as cabinet minister. Is there one after the MIC's first president, Mr John Thivy? So, why this sudden concern for Dato' Pathmanaban dead when he should have been better regarded when he was alive?

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@mgg.pc.my

New Straits Times, 23 August 01, p15:

SAMY VELLU: ROAD TO BE NAMED AFTER PATHMANABAN

KUALA LUMPUR, Wed.- The Cabinet has agreed to name a road here in memory of former Deputy Human Resources Minister, Datuk K. Pathmanaban, who died of kidney failure on June 9.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said he was find a suitable road for the purpose.

He said this at the book launch of "Mission Save Earth" by two Indian nationals, T. Srinivasa Rao and R. Gnanasekaran, today. Also present was deputy Indian high commissioner, Dr B.M. Vinod Kumar.

Ends