Poor Turn-Out In GAS Protest Today

Kuala Lumpur
Sunday, 30th May 2010

Mugillan Blames Last Minute Change of Venue for  Poor Turn-Out in the Protest

The Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) today suffered a major setback, with a poor turnout at its gathering that is likely to give the beleaguered MIC president a major boost in quelling the party revolt against him.

Organisers of today’s gathering, held at the Mines Convention Centre in Seri Kembangan here, blamed the poor turnout of fewer than 3,000 on the eleventh hour venue change.

Today’s protest was to have been held at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) but was switched to the Mines after the PWTC management cancelled the original booking, causing confusion among potential protesters, said organiser V. Mugilan.

Although Mugilan had expected 15,000 people to turn up, the attendees filled up less than half of the cavernous hall when the protest session started at 2.15pm.

The poor showing will give ammunition to Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to discredit the rebels gathered under the GAS movement.

However, few of those present today were MIC members. Many in attendance were former MIC members now in the Makkal Sakthi and IPF movements.

Mugilan had said he would dismantle the GAS movement if the turnout was poor.

Samy will find new fodder in the low turnout at the GAS gathering.

He also reportedly said that if the response to GAS was poor, it could only mean that the party wanted Samy Vellu to be president for life.

Former IPF secretary K. Panjamoorthy also blamed the venue switch for the poor turnout.

“You can’t get here if you don’t have a car,” he said.

Organisers also blamed alleged attempts by their opponents to “buy” party members.

Former IPF youth leader V. Veera, however, said the reason for the poor turnout was ennui among Indians.

“They think whatever they do, Samy vellu will continue in power,” he said.

“Umno is partly to be blamed for this situation,” he said. “They always supported Samy and defended him. They did not see the poor suffering Indian people behind Samu Vellu,”

Veera added that “Umno’s eyes are open now but the people need time to overcome their pessimism.”

Mugilan, however, said the event was only a first step for the Indian community in the country.

Among those present today was P. Chittakalla Vasu, who was recently charged with cheating the MIC’s education arm MIED to the tune of RM4 million.

Samy Vellu has so far sacked MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) members KP Samy, G. Kumar Aamaan and former Petaling Jaya MIC Division Chief V. Subramaniam or Bharat Maniam.

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