Palanivel: Don't blame voters
Malaysiakini.com
Apr 25, 2008

MIC deputy president G Palanivel has called on his Hulu Selangor branch chairmen to continue serving the people despite the electoral setback.
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The MIC Hulu Selangor division chief reminded them that leaders who continue to serve the people despite setbacks will stand the test of time.

g palanivelSpeaking at the division’s routine meeting yesterday, he said there were those who believed that the "voters never supported us even though we had served."

"This type of thinking is partly right but at the same time, more than 22,000 people had supported us. We lost by 198 votes (in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency contested by Palanivel).

"This small margin is an indication that many of them living here still want our efforts to continue," he told the MIC branch chairmen who were meeting formally in Kuala Kubu Bahru for the first time since the 8 March general election.

"It was a matter of 100 votes. The results could have gone either way, so don’t be disheartened. Let us continue with our work. I have come back after a month’s rest," he added

Don't blame voters

Palanivel said the defeat must be taken positively and members should reflect and analyse their performance.

"We need to take stock of our weaknesses and not blame the voters. They have supported us for four terms but just because they didn’t this time around, we are not going to turn our backs on them. Blaming one another is also not going to solve the problems," he said.

Palanivel said on April 19, he visited 19 kampongs in Felda Hulu Bernam where he "won each and every ‘peti undi’ (ballot box)."

"They were happy to see me but disappointed that I had lost. However they were most encouraging and they have, through their kind words of encouragement, once more inspired me to go back to the grass roots," he added.

On that note, Palanivel told his 60 branch chairmen to collect the feedback from their respective members

"Take their feedback seriously and let us involve the members more actively in running this division," he said.

"We should not lose heart but continue to work with sincerity and positively. We shall hold small group meetings at the branch levels to facilitate better communication. We shall continue to represent issues and problems that the people face.

"I may not be the elected rep for Hulu Selangor now but I am familiar with the constituency and its people whom I had served for a long time and I will do my best to help those who continue to come to me," he added.

In the March 8 polls, Palanivel was defeated by PKR's Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad. MIC lost 18 of its 28 seats and almost all its top leaders, including party president S Samy Vellu, were trounced.

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