Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) deputy president S Subramaniam has hit back at Urimai leaders, describing the movement’s chairman, P Ramasamy, as an “opportunist” with no real credibility among the Indian community.
“Is Ramasamy a real leader? Does Ramasamy have any credibility?
“Why did he leave DAP? He didn’t leave DAP because of the community; he left because he didn’t get a seat in the previous state election. He is an opportunist,” Subramaniam told FMT.
His remarks came after Selangor Urimai chief K Gunasekaran accused Perikatan Nasional (PN) of failing to draw “real Indian leaders” with grassroots support.
Gunasekaran also pointed out that Indian voters have yet to rally behind the opposition coalition despite growing disenchantment with the Madani administration.
He also criticised those who represented the Indian community at the recent Turun Anwar rally, saying the speakers were unfamiliar and lacked credibility within the community.
Subramaniam, however, dismissed the allegations, insisting that PN was making steady inroads among Indian voters.
“Nationwide, we have built the support of 20% of Indians (for PN). At every by-election, we get about 30-35% of the Indian vote, so on average nationwide, we have about 20%.
“So what is he talking about when he says MIPP has no credibility?” he said.
He said his party plays a legitimate and structured role in shaping Indian political representation through its position in the PN coalition.
Subramaniam said that unlike Urimai, MIPP operated as a registered political party within PN and was focused on building a formidable and constructive Indian political force.
He added that MIPP’s ‘Reset’ campaign was actively engaging the Indian community nationwide to address systemic issues and secure opportunities lost due to decades of ineffective leadership.
As part of PN, Subramaniam said MIPP was positioned within the “government-in-waiting” and was working through legitimate channels for tangible progress.
On whether MIPP was open to working with Urimai, Subramaniam said the party was not against collaboration but questioned its legitimacy.
“We can work with anybody. But are you even an official party? You can’t even secure your party’s registration. So why are you talking about credibility?
“Urimai is just a movement. It’s not even an NGO. Ask them to register first. If they cannot become a party, register as an NGO first. Then we can work together,” he said.
The Registrar of Societies (RoS) informed Urimai on July 4 last year that its application to be registered as a political party had been rejected. Ramasamy subsequently announced that home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had also rejected Urimai’s appeal.
He said that an official from the ministry conveyed Saifuddin’s decision “without providing any reasons for the rejection”.
On Feb 27, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted the party leave to initiate judicial review proceedings against the government’s decision. The case is ongoing.
