Signs of the times

Umno is sending out a lot of signals, but Uncle Sam-y just does not get it.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will attend the launch of the Malaysian Makkal Sakti Party on Oct 10 while at the 17th IPF annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 27, Barisan Nasional executive secretary Datuk Abu Khamis, representing secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, opened the one-day event.

What Uncle Sam-y has done is to use his Youth Wing chief T. Mohan to say that the Malaysian Indian Congress would not allow another Indian party to be admitted into Barisan Nasional.

Umno - and almost everyone else - knows that fighting the next battle (the general elections) against a so-far quite resilient Pakatan Rakyat would be tough and it would be even worse if its Barisan "friend" MIC enters the fray in its present condition led by stubborn ol' Samy Vellu.

So Umno is courting other Indian parties which may in time be more influential than MIC. Umno is also making use of these other Indian parties to apply pressure on MIC to reform and re-energise.

Samy should take heed of the signals and signs of the times.

There is an urgent need for new faces, new blood, new views and new leaders to lure the new voters.