‘MIC must field high-calibre candidates’
PUTRAJAYA: MIC has to rethink its strategies to survive the coming general election by fielding the right candidates to regain the seats that it lost to the Opposition in the last two elections, say political researchers.
As the third biggest party in Barisan Nasional, it has to field candidates with high integrity, good credibility and well-liked by the voters not only to win in the GE14, but also to remain relevant as the voice of the Indians, and in the bigger picture the voice of Malaysians.
Here is where the setback is – many of the candidates fielded by MIC previously seem to lack the qualities to be winners.
Hence, it is not surprising that during MIC's 71st AGM last year, Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he wanted to see MIC fielding candidates with winning qualities and who are accepted by the voters of all races.
MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said that credibility and ability have always been the party’s prerequisite in choosing its candidates.
He was reported as saying that MIC was confident of winning seven parliamentary seats and 13 state seats from the 28 seats it plans to contest in the coming elections.
Political pundits point out that MIC could only afford to win four of the nine parliamentary seats contested during the last general election as its candidates failed to live up to expectations of the voters and even the party members frowned upon them.
Some had no track record to show. Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia pointed out that MIC’s failure to win five seats from the nine parliamentary seats it contested only showed that the party has to reflect on its own shortcomings, and not on the strength of the Opposition.
The five seats are Subang, Teluk Kemang, Kapar, Kota Raja and Sungai Siput.
“It needs candidates of calibre. MIC has to think out of the box at least in taking back Teluk Kemang and Sungai Siput. The party can’t afford to lose both seats for the third time,” he said.
Universiti Utara Malaysia Political and International Affairs senior lecturer Prof Shukri Shuib said that MIC’s candidates have to be acceptable to all, including to the Indians.
“MIC needs the right candidates to transform the political dimension of the Indian community in Malaysia. Its candidates would have to be tactful enough to take on their opponents,” he added.
Another political pundit Datuk Anbumani Balan said GE14 should serve as MIC’s platform to come up with a dynamic, progressive and visionary line-up to win over the hearts of the people and return the Indian support to Barisan.
“A compelling line-up is crucial if the party is to continue representing the Indians in the country,” he said. — Bernama