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Media Statement         
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Thursday): MIC Deputy President Datuk G. Palanivel is confident that the Indians will continue to vote for Barisan Nasional because of the hard work put in by the MIC.

“The Indians are loyal to Barisan. They know we have served our constituencies and cultivated the relationship with the people.”

Palanivel was clearly “whistling in the dark” (i.e. keeping the courage up) when the MIC leaders are facing the greatest crisis of confidence and credibility in its party history.

In the past 50 years, the Indian voters were taken for granted by the Barisan Nasional as the unquestioned vote-bank, but there is now a sea-change in the political attitudes of the Malaysian Indians as a result of their political awakening caused by the high-handed and arbitrary disregard of their basic feelings and fundamental rights in their cry of desperation for government attention and action to end their long-standing marginalization as the new underclass in Malaysia.

Nanyang Siang Pau reported that the next general election will be held in the next 100 days. I believe that the polls will be held in the next 80 days or it will be held much later.

A date which had been bruited as given by Abdullah’s Feng Shui maestro is March 15, 2008.

I believe if the polling date is not held by the middle of March, we are looking earliest at mid-year or after.

This is because the next Parliamentary meeting is scheduled to begin on March 17, which will be officially opened by the Yang di Pertuan Agong for a 23-day meeting for the Dewan Rakyat till April 23, 2008 to be followed by the Senate meeting.

It would be ridiculous and highly contemptuous of Parliament and the Yang di Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament when it has just been officially opened as there would be no national emergency, like a loss of confidence by the government-of-the-day, to justify such an action.

Either the next general election is held within the next 80 days without the next parliamentary meeting or it will be held in mid-year or the third quarter.

The next general election will be most unprecedented as the Indian voters will be playing the most decisive role in 12 general elections in 50 years.

From the latest data, there are 50 parliamentary and 133 state assembly constituencies where Indian voters comprise more than 10% of the electorate and 21 parliamentary and 133 state assembly seats in Peninsular Malaysia where the Indian voters constitute more than 15% of the electorate.

The 133 state assembly states in Peninsular Malaysia with Indian voters comprising more than 10% of the electorate are:

Perlis (2)            % of Indian voters in constituency

Tambun Tulang - 11.21
Chuping - 10.60

Kedah (10)

Bukit Selambau - 27.39
Lunas - 23.64
Sidam - 19.62
Merbau Pulas - 19.55
Gurun - 17.26
Kulim - 14.68
Bakar Arang - 12.28
Pedu - 11.51
Sungai Tiang - 11.47
Kuala Ketil - 11.45

Penang (11)

Perai - 34.77
Bagan Dalam - 21.01
Jawi - 19.93
Bukit Tengah - 17.53
Bukit Tambun - 15.80
Sungai Bakap - 14.10
Kebun Bunga - 13.15
Bagan Jermal - 12.97
Batu Uban - 11.48
Seberang Jaya - 11.07
Tanjong Bunga - 10.22

Perak (27)

Buntong - 44.30
Hutang Melintang - 30.39
Jalong - 26.11
Changkat Jong - 26.04
Chenderiang - 24.95
Sungkai - 19.76
Jelapang - 18.60
Behrang - 18.15
Lintang - 18.11
Pasir Panjang - 17.78
Alor Pongsu - 16.89
Aulong - 15.84
Pantai Remis - 15.22
Ayer Kuning - 14.98
Hulu Kinta - 14.84
Slim - 13.82
Pengkalan Hulu - 13.69
Pasir Bedamar - 13.39
Teja - 13.38
Trong - 13.30
Kamunting - 13.28
Tualang Sekar - 12.37
Kepayang - 12.03
Pengkalan Baharu - 11.18
Tronoh - 11.00
Rungkup - 10.80
Pokok Assam - 10.05

Pahang (8)

Tanah Rata - 26.67
Sabai - 20.01
Lancang - 17.19
Jelai - 16.29
Jenderak - 11.65
Bebar - 11.33
Benta - 11.13
Tras - 10.19

Selangor (37)

Bukit Melawati - 30.19
Seri Andalas - 29.94
Seri Setia - 27.92
Ijok - 27.08
Sementa - 21.83
Kuala Kubu Baharu - 21.66
Permatang - 21.64
Kota Alam Shah - 21.59
Teluk Datuk - 21.54
Batu Caves - 21.42
Sri Muda - 20.86
Rawang - 20.74
Sungai Pelek - 20.67
Batang Kali - 19.61
Dengkil - 17.85
Kuang - 17.84
Sijangkang - 17.63
Batu Tiga - 15.93
Pelabuhan Klang - 15.90
Morib - 15.72
Bukit Lanjan - 15.63
Taman Medan - 15.57
Hulu Bernam - 15.45
Semenyih - 15.26
Pandamaran - 15.17
Seri Serdang - 15.02
Tanjong Sepat - 14.79
Kota Damansara - 14.01
Kota Anggerik - 13.51
Kinrara - 12.71
Bangi - 12.25
Paya Jaras - 12.20
Lembah Jaya - 11.56
Meru - 11.30
Jeram - 10.93
Taman Templer - 10.93
Bukit Gasing - 10.82

Negri Sembilan (19)

Jeram Padang - 38.55
Port Dickson - 27.45
Bagan Pinang - 24.43
Rantau - 23.26
Linggi - 20.97
Chuah - 20.79
Rahang - 20.38
Bukit Kepayang - 19.84
Mambau - 19.51
Nilai - 19.23
Lukut - 19.09
Labu - 17.89
Senawang - 17.76
Repah - 17.47
Paroi - 17.34
Lobak - 14.65
Gemencheh - 12.46
Sungai Lui - 11.00
Chembong - 10.89

Melaka (7)

Rim - 15.44
Merlimau - 14.10
Machap - 14.00
Bemban - 13.48
Rembia - 13.15
Asahan - 11.42
Gadek - 10.82

Johor (12)

Bekok - 16.95
Paloh - 16.88
Permas - 15.59
Layang-Layang - 15.53
Tiram - 14.01
Buloh Kasap - 13.75
Mengkibol - 12.46
Tenang - 11.60
Puteri Wangsa - 11.07
Skudai - 10.88
Nusa Jaya - 10.86
Bukit Permai - 10.43
 

(27/12/2007)