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Is the MIC on an electoral fundraising expedition?

The MIC president, Dato' Seri S. Samy Vellu, has decreed the creation of a Malaysian Indian artistes foundation, which in two months would collect RM1,000,000 to provide insurance for its members when they travel and they fall on hard times. The foundation is not formed yet, but he told reporters yesterday that it would set up a production company to produce movies and television shows and recordings besides training local Indian talent. Indian castles in dreamland is his specialty. Curious, that it took more than 50 years to realise that there was such an animal as artiste within the Indian community. Dato' S. Samy Vellu and an MIC central committee member, Senator Dato' V.K.K. Teagarajan are trustees: that is only fair since the artistes cannot be relied upon, as these two fellows can, to ensure this would be a collosal failure. The initial donation of RM10,000 is provided by the company which produces the Indian Nada Suria programme on RTM. So far well and good. But a few niggardly questions arise: If the foundation is not yet registered, how can it collect funds? How did the Registrar of Society allow Dato' Teagarajan to accept the funds when the organisation itself is not registered? Or are they different rules for the MIC which cannot apply to the riff raff amongst us who has similar aims, with more justification than the MIC could ever have? If the foundation is to benefit the artistes, why is there no prominent artiste amongst the trustees? If the MIC can raise RM1,000,000 in two months, why can it not raise many more millions to kick off a programme to benefit, for example, Tamil schools? The Indian artistes who fondly believe this foundation would benefit them believes in tooth fairies.

For what you see is not what is. This seems to me to be an attempt to raise electoral funds on the sly. I am prepared to wager that this time next year, neither Dato' Seri Samy Vellu or Dato' Teagarajan would be as enthusiastic about this foundation as they are today. Nor would the artistes for whom a caring, understanding, concerned MIC president now sings praises of. If the MIC and its president was serious, they would have started on programmes to to improve living conditions of the Indian underclass. Instead, they object to any Indian who tries to. The collection of electoral funds is clear enough. The artiste foundation plans a huge tamasha at the Putra World Trade Centre on 31 July, a fortnight hence, to which 3,000 donation invitations would be sent out, with MIC promising to sell half. A pity the good dato' seri does not heed his own advice: at a function in Petaling Jaya, he said members should go all out to sell tickets if they want it to be a success. And this was a function organised by his wife. And yet he expects 3,000 people to folk out hundreds of dollars for a function at the end of this month. Yes, I am harsh about the MIC. But I have asked the MIC to prove me wrong time and time again. I hang my head in shame that it cannot, and believe, without doubt, that if the Indians are to improve, they must first throw the MIC out of their mindset.

As I said, the MIC jumps on the bandwagon of electoral fund collection. Until recently, Dato' Seri Samy and his cabinet colleagues could only award contracts valued at under RM5 million, and that too after clearance from the Khazanah. But, now until 30 November, secretaries-generals can award contracts worth up to RM20 million without tenders called for. Allegedly, this is to ensure that the people's needs are taken care of. I am more inclined to believe that this would enable sizeable contributions to flow into the right election funds. Immediate money is required. I am prepared to wager that those who do get these contracts may find the contracts all but disappearing come 30 November 1999. Why is there this mad need for building amidst an impending general election, when for years these area have been studiously ignored? Political parties, in the government and opposition, depend on political contributions for their existence. The means to acquire them is messy: some signs of forced contributions is inevitable. Several companies in the past have irked at this unwelcome exactions, but that is the cost of doing business, one which cannot be ignored. In previous elections, the privatisation contracts worth billions of ringgit ensured a steady flow of funds, made all the more palatable with a judicious award of titles.

This time, while much of those conditions continue to apply, the shrinkage of work in this allegedly booming economy of ours makes it difficult to collect the odd million ringgit in small change. The electoral funds do not flow like water any more. The recipients are more reluctant to hand over what they collect to central funds. The uncertainty within the Malay cultural ground ensures that this becomes more common by the day. Besides, the formerly stalwart corporate contributors have to come to terms with the possibility -- not probability, as many assume -- of an opposition-led government or even a coalition with the National Front that they need to divert a larger proportion of their donations than in the past to opposition parties. The MCA, Gerakan, MIC face the same difficulties as UMNO. Especially when the money pool is small. They are not used to it. So, they run hither and thither to grab as much of the loot available as possible but in such unprofessional terms that the money supply would dry even more. Meanwhile, good luck to all those who accept the secretaries-general's awards of under-RM20 million contracts without tender; may you continue to have these contracts after 30 November. But these contractors would take the gamble: Malaysia Boleh is one large casino; why are we surprised that such odds as RM20 million contracts appear every day of the calender year through the decades?

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