Malaysian Indian Congress in by-poll campaign mode

KUALA LUMPUR - Firmly backed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has got into the campaign mode hoping to recapture a parliament seat it lost two years ago.

Najib, who is chief of the ruling alliance Barisan Nasional (BN), has nominated the MIC, but is yet to clear the candidate for the April 27 poll for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat.

MIC chief S. Samy Vellu wants party vice president G. Palanivel as the candidate. Palanivel, who held the seat since 1991, lost it by 198 votes in 2008.

Vellu is moving from one house estate to another to woo ethnic Indians, who form 19.5 percent of the 65,000 plus electorate of the constituency in Selangor state, The Daily Star reported Sunday.

The MIC leaders, branch chairmen and members of the women’s front have been camping in various Indian areas to find out the problems as well as the issues affecting the community.

The by-election is being held following the death of opposition member Zainal Abidin Ahmad March 25.

Indians, estimated at nearly two million, are about seven percent of Malaysia’s multi-ethnic population.