KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 — Insisting that his Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) rally yesterday was a success, sacked MIC Youth deputy chief V. Mugilan said today he plans to go ahead with a second rally in two weeks.
The outspoken leader, who has emerged as a focal point for the party revolt against Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, said that he would keep holding “rally after rally” until the embattled MIC president finally gets the hint and agrees to an early retirement.
Mugilan even expressed confidence that the party’s longest serving president would listen to the voice of the rising revolt in the party and step down during the party’s annual general meeting on July 10.
“He (Samy Vellu) has already dropped two significant hints to confirm this.
“First, he said he would leave early if he were given a good post. Next, during the MIC AGM in Johor yesterday, he said it was his last time attending the meeting.
“Since the next meet is scheduled for next May, this means Samy Vellu already has the intention to leave even earlier,” Mugilan told a press conference at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters here this afternoon.
He denied that the purpose of the second rally was because of the poor turnout during yesterday’s inaugural gathering, which saw a mere fraction of the 15,000 Mugilan had claimed would attend.
“Our people were threatened and stopped from coming. They were paid to stay away.
“I know that even the bus drivers were paid to abandon their passengers that they were supposed to ferry to the venue,” he alleged.
Mugilan also refuted rumours that those who had attended yesterday’s rally were non-MIC members and that some were even Indian nationals.
“All of them were definitely Malaysians and you can see from yesterday that at least 80 per cent of them were MIC members. We did not pay them to come.
“In any case, I stand to gain nothing from this for this is just what we are doing for the Indian community. They no longer want Samy Vellu as MIC president,” he claimed.
To prove that the anti-Samy Vellu revolt had strength in numbers, Mugilan also challenged the veteran to poll the party’s over 3,000 branch chairmen to gauge support for his leadership.
“If he dares, he should conduct a special poll for this. Get all the branch chairmen together and let them to decide.
“I can say confidently that he would barely win 20 per cent of the vote,” he said.
He addedthat these “upset MIC leaders” were merely frightened to speak out openly and cross Samy Vellu, for fear of suffering the same fate as those who dared to do so.
“They know they will be sacked. So they keep quiet and fight in silence through their votes,” said Mugilan.
He said he would stop fighting if Samy Vellu could prove he still had support from grassroots leaders.
“We will back down if he can do this, if he dares to poll the branch leaders,” he said.
Later, Mugilan lodged a police report here alleging that his Facebook account had been hacked.
He claimed that perpetrators had logged into his account and had sent out messages stating things like thanking Umno members for their support in GAS.
“They also used my account to write that Hindraf supporters are merely demonstrators,” he claimed.
Mugilan said he had discovered that his account had been hacked into early this morning when his friend informed him.
“The last time I logged in was on Saturday,” he said.
He alleged that the hackers were those who wanted badly to severe his relationship with the people.
Mugilan had earlier denied rumours that Umno was backing his rally, who had hopes of ridding the party of Samy Vellu.
He also said today that he had initially no intention to speak with the media after yesterday’s GAS rally.
“This was actually supposed to be a week of peace. I had no intention to seek more publicity.
“We wanted to just sit back quietly and allow Samy Vellu to reflect on the messages we have relayed to him,” he said.
He noted that if Samy Vellu still failed to respond, he had planned for a press conference only next Monday, to announce the second GAS rally.
“We will hold it in two weeks,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mugilan said he would be appealing his sacking this Wednesday.
“I will send my appeal letter, together with the others who were sacked, at the MIC headquarters at noon this Wednesday,” he said.
After Mugilan was summarily expelled by Samy Vellu for speaking out against him, two other MIC members, both with the central working committee, were also sacked for the same offence, G. Kumar Aamaan and KP Samy.
MIC secretary-general S.
Murugesan was subsequently expelled after he disagreed with the sackings
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