Drunk On Power Or Toddy Mic Umno Youth Wings Trade Barbs

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BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s reminder to MIC not to “say one thing by day and another by night” concerning the party’s membership status in the coalition has not gone down well with MIC Youth, with its chief K Arvind taking issue with the remarks.
“If the issue truly is ‘saying one thing by day and another by night’, then the closest mirror Zahid should look into is Umno’s own leadership.
“He accused MIC of being drunk on power… Let’s rewind. Zahid previously openly chanted the slogan ‘No DAP, No Anwar’ during the general election campaign, yet he eventually became the key individual who brought Umno into government together with DAP and Anwar Ibrahim.
“Isn’t that the clearest example of ‘saying one thing by day, doing another by night’?” Arvind (above) told Malaysiakini.
Arvind's remarks against Zahid prompted Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh to issue a stinging rebuke.
"The 'drunk' one is the one who said they want to leave, but never left, even when their annual general meeting has agreed to leave.
"The one 'drunk' is the one who wants to join Perikatan Nasional but also wants to support the prime minister. This is 'toddy level' drunk," Akmal stressed.
No letter as yet
Yesterday, Zahid said BN had yet to receive a letter from MIC regarding the party’s motion to leave the coalition.
“And of course, we have not made any decision, but if they are unable to make a decision, we (BN) will make a decision (on MIC leaving BN),” he told the media after officiating the Indian Progressive Front (IPF) annual general assembly in Semenyih, Selangor.
Ahmad Zahid HamidiZahid reminded BN component parties to think carefully before deciding to leave a coalition they had been part of for so long, especially given the constantly changing political landscape.
“Among us, don’t say one thing by day and another by night. We also see letters requesting to rejoin - why request to rejoin? It means they were already in before.
“Politics is very dynamic… don’t let it be merely because of being drunk on power from consuming too much intoxicating drink. Decisions are then made without considering that we have been friends for over 70 years,” the deputy prime minister added.
Who’s the most disoriented?
However, Arvind said it was actually Zahid who was drunk on power.
“The one drunk on power is Zahid, not us. If intoxication is truly the cause, the people can judge for themselves who is the most disoriented about the direction,” he said.
He pointed to BN’s move to join the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-led government after the recent state election, despite the two having been at odds before that.
“So who actually made decisions while angry, sad, desperate, and then ended up turning back?
“If you want to talk about being drunk, make sure you are self-aware first,” he added.
Loyalty does not mean silence
Arvind pointed out that MIC has never made decisions hastily or based on emotion, and has remained loyal to BN despite facing unfair treatment and being sidelined in government.
“We have never left BN. All we ask is to be respected as a partner, not treated as a historical ornament.
“Solidarity cannot be demanded unilaterally, especially after MIC has been sidelined in policy-making and power-sharing.
“Seventy years of solidarity cannot be used as an excuse to remain silent when being marginalised,” he added.
MIC’s annual general assembly last November decided to postpone a decision on whether the party would remain in BN or consider a new coalition.
Delegates handed the mandate to party president SA Vigneswaran and the central working committee to decide on the matter. - Mkini

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