KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 — MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu (picture) has a powerful new weapon at his disposal to attack his political enemies in the person of Tamilmani, a veteran Tamil newspaper editor.
Once Samy Vellu’s arch foe, and confidant of his rival Datuk S. Subramaniam, Tamilmani used various newspapers and magazines to lambast the MIC man for nearly two decades, exposing mismanagement and corruption especially in relation to the Telekom shares scandal.
In recent years Tamilmani, whose real name is Veerasamy, published magazines which had a pro-Pakatan Rakyat (PR) stance.
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ut since April 1 Tamilmani has joined Samy Vellu’s Tamil Nesan daily as its new managing editor, a shocking reversal of roles that has upset his many followers who now scream “betrayal”.They are shocked that he has placed his powerful pen at Samy Vellu’s feet after crusading against the latter for two decades.
“I feel sick of the state of Tamil journalism in this country,” said a retired Tamil newspaper editor. “There is no honour in our profession anymore.”
But for Tamilmani it is normal and natural for writers like himself to support one leader today and another tomorrow.
“It’s all in one’s perspective.”
“We had many differences at that time but now we don’t have that differences. I supported Subramaniam for 30 years but now I don’t. It’s as simple as that. Maybe next time we can patch up,” he told The Malaysian Insider in an interview.
“It’s just another job as managing editor of Tamil Nesan,” Tamilmani said of his new job.
Vel Paari, the managing director of Tamil Nesan, said Tamilmani has been hired to improve editorial content and lift the paper’s circulation.
“He is a well recognised writer and we are happy to have him,” Vel Paari told The Malaysian Insider. “What he was and what he did in the past are matters of the past.”
Paari said the rapprochement with Tamilmani simply attests to the old saying that there were no permanent enemies or friends in politics.
However MIC sources said Datin Indrani Samy Vellu is unhappy with Tamilmani as managing editor because he had lambasted her in crude terms previously during his crusade against Samy Vellu.
Tamil Nesan staff are also said to be weary of Tamilmani because of his alleged “divisive” nature and “argumentative editorial” style.
But whatever their grouses, political consideration has played a major part in bringing Tamilmani into Tamil Nesan.
On April 2, Tamilmani gave notice to all his rivals and former colleagues and friends with an article in Tamil Nesan, by attacking Subramaniam and blaming him as the man behind independents who are likely to stand in the Hulu by-election and spoil the chances of MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel, who is the likely BN candidate.
Tamilmani is believed to be the author of the article published under the pseudonym Kuthusi or sharp needle, a pseudonym Tamilmani had used previously.
“The article also shows his writing style,” said a Tamil newspaper journalist.
Tamilmani does not deny he wrote the article but refuses to confirm that he wrote it.
The article has damaged Subramaniam’s standing among Barisan Nasional leaders as it appeared on the day Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak toured Hulu Selangor.
He is looking for a big victory in Hulu Selangor to further the political momentum he has achieved in his first year as Prime Minister.
The independents, all disgruntled MIC leaders, can potentially be a major nuisance to Palanivel because at least one of them, V.S. Chandran, was the Hulu Selangor MIC deputy division chairman for six years before his fallout with Palanivel.
Subramanian’s Makkal Osai newspaper fired a salvo at Samy Vellu on Sunday by publishing prominently a letter from an alleged reader under the heading "Is MIED and AIMST University Lost", referring to recent attempts by Samy Vellu to take AIMST University, now belonging to MIC, private.
The Samy Vellu/Palanivel versus Subramanian feud that is beginning to spill over into the Tamil newspapers is a bane to the Barisan and is likely to have a negative impact on Indians voters in Hulu Selangor, who make up about 19 per cent of the electorate.
They could favour PR if the feud continues.
In any case the burgeoning feud gives ample ammunition to PR to use on Indian voters in Hulu Selangor.
“They just have to bring the rival newspapers to their ceramahs and read out the contents to the people,” said a Palanivel supporter angry with Tamilmani’s taking over of Tamil Nesan.
“This is the worse possible time to bring him into the paper with a by-election going on,” he said, adding Tamilmani has “too much baggage for comfort”.
Vel Paari is also angry with Subramaniam and blames the latter for continuing his feud with Palanivel in Hulu Selangor to the detriment of the Barisan Nasional.
“He (Subramaniam) does not know when to close ranks and when to feud. We must end our differences to ensure a big BN win,” he told The Malaysian Insider. “He is the puppet master behind the independents; he might want to help Pakatan to win.”
MIC CWC member K.P. Samy however rejected the accusation and said the independents had nothing to do with Subramaniam.
“They are disgruntled elements and contesting on their own. Subra(maniam) has nothing to do with them,” he said.
“Don’t blame him if you are unpopular with the people.”
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