"Malaysia PM's Winning of Hearts & Minds Will Lead National Front to Victory"

By Yong Soo Heong KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 (Bernama) -- Former Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) president S. Samy Vellu believes that Prime Minister Najib Razak's dynamic leadership and affirmative policies will win the hearts and minds of the people and lead the National Front (Barisan Nsaional-BN) to victory in the next general election. He said the new trend of politics advocated by Najib through his transformation policies and the 1Malaysia concept, which called for the acceptance of the country's diversity as a source of greater unity, has proven that he (Najib) "is a leader for all communities". In an interview with Bernama, the elder statesman of Malaysian Indian politics said Najib's outreach programmes to all communities and his stance in advocating moderation or "wassatiyah" through dialogue and peaceful co-existence, have won the hearts and minds of many who had turned their backs on BN in 2008. Samy claimed that the Opposition parties managed to win many seats in the 2008 general election not because they were smart but because we (BN) did not take care of our people and they left us out of anger." But he said that much of the anger had now dissipated because of Najib's various inclusive and outreach policies like the 'Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia', 1Malaysia Clinic, providing scholarships to deserving students, going to the ground on his walkabouts to listen to the people and using the digital media to reach out to the young. "The good thing about Najib is that he listens to the people, analyses (the issues) and feels for the people because a good leader must listen to the views of others (as well). He has done a lot to win back support for BN because he also speaks his mind and heart on what he wants to do for the people. "I have been in politics for more than 30 years and I know what the Indian community is thinking now. Never have they seen such a leader who has been so kind to them. The (majority of) Indian community has come back strongly for the National Front (BN) this time around because their grievances have been heard," said Samy, who became a minister in 1979 until his retirement in 2008. The Indian community was happy that they now have a prime minister who was prepared to listen and would take action wherever possible, he added. Samy noted that there were sizeable numbers of Indians in the Bersih 1.0 and Bersih 2.0 demonstrations in the past but very few in Bersih 3.0, and this showed that they now felt that "they have a government that was prepared to look into their plight." "When you have a government that is prepared to listen, you don't need to take to the streets," he said. Furthermore, Samy said Najib had won a lot of admiration from the Indian community, especially the Hindus, from his visits to the Sri Subramaniya Temple at Batu Caves during Thaipusam. "The last prime minister who went there was Hussein Onn. Thereafter no other prime minister came until Najib. He went there not to pray but to see the citizens as their leader and father of the country," he added. Samy said Najib's approach had worked on the minds of the Indians as "it makes them feel they are wanted, that we (the leaders) care for them and feel for them". With that kind of positive mindset taken by the Najib administration not just for the Indian community but also other communities like the Malays, Chinese, Sikhs, the Indigenous, Ibans, Bidayuh, Kelabit and Kadazan, Samy said "that is the reason why he (Najib) will have a very good chance of winning the next general election." Samy, who has been appointed the country's special envoy with ministerial rank for infrastructure to India and Southern Asia since January 2011, said he was happy to be able to use his experience of almost 30 years in the government to support Malaysian companies in their overseas expansion for infrastructure projects. -- BERNAMA