Malaysians Say The Darndest Things!

MIC’s Dhana Is Going To Be A Joke

June 4, 2008

Last Friday, MIC announced a brand new privilege card for its 630,000 members which would allow them to get discounts and benefits from merchants across the country from different types of businesses.

The news excerpt from TheStar:

Meanwhile, in Malacca on Friday, Samy said a privilege card would be issued to the MIC’s 630,000 members as part of the party’s re-branding exercise.

The card, called Dhana (meaning wealth in Sanskrit), would allow members to enjoy at least 20 benefits and privileges including special healthcare programmes, mobile phone offers and discounts to buy motorcycles and cars.

Speaking at the opening of the Malacca MIC delegates conference here on Friday, Samy Vellu said it would be the first political party to offer such a card.

Although I will never be able to gain this privilege card because I don’t think MIC accepts memberships from other ethnicities, I would just like to state some of my reservations about this card.

Let’s examine a few factors on why MIC wants to introduce Dhana to its members.
1) Improve or maintain their membership numbers
It is no secret that MIC has lost much credibility since their initial criticism of Hindraf and powerless-ness when dealing with the UMNO-led government, both of which led to MIC being decimated in the polls last March. Anything to boost their popularity, even though it could be a gimmick, will do for a party in such a desperate position.

2) Reward their existing members for their loyalty
Discounts in healthcare, phones, vehicles, it’s all good. If I were a member and a Dhana card holder, I would be grateful to his highness Samy Vellu for giving me a chance to save money. After all, I will need all the discounts I can get so that I can pay for my 10 A1 SPM scorer’s education in a good school after being rejected for a PSD scholarship.

3) Reward their existing members for their loyalty
I know, I know, I’m repeating myself, but I’m talking about members who will be offering the discounts. This will be a way for a mobile phone shop (or whatever shop) owned by a MIC member to build a big base of clients made up exclusively of MIC members.

Now, let’s examine a few factors on why MIC’s Dhana is going to be a joke.
1) Corporations or businesses do not want to be recognized as MIC-friendly
I love repeating myself, so here I go again. MIC has lost much credibility. There are actually people who really hate MIC and its leaders, and what it stands for. Thus, would a business take a potentially fatal decision to endorse the Dhana card and risk being seen as a MIC-friendly business?

2) Dhana will be seen as a misplacement of time and effort
Instead of focusing their efforts to getting bright Indian students the scholarships that they deserve, MIC is more keen on less fulfilling stuff like a discount card for its members. If I were an MIC member, I would be asking the leadership to actually try to find a way to solve the real problems in the community. A discount card will certainly not solve the problems of the community, unless the discount card gives a 50 sen discount on every liter of petrol sold. If it does, then I thus declare my name to be K. Gopinathan.

3) MIC has a bad track record with implementing stuff
MAIKA Holdings. Need I say more?

Now, some of you might wonder, what it is I have against MIC or their Dhana card? Well, I don’t have anything against Dhana, afterall who doesn’t like discounts. But MIC, I really think they have misplaced their priorities and money. An example of a possible waste of money is the following news (in the same news report above):

The MIC has hired two information technology (IT) specialists to rebut allegations against the party on the Internet.

“We would make sure that the allegations are replied to within 24 hours,” president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said here at the 62nd Selangor MIC delegates conference here on Saturday.

The IT experts would also attend to the complaints through the party’s call centre. The centre, currently under renovation at its headquarters, is expected to be operational next month.

“They would also refer the problems to the respective MIC leaders who would raise them with the relevant government agencies if required,” he said.

We all know (and my definition of we does not include Samy Vellu) that to answer allegations on the Internet doesn’t require the expertise of an IT specialist. All you need is a spokesperson who knows the party’s line and policies, and decent knowledge of the Internet. Hiring two IT specialists? Overkill.

Now that I’ve made some allegations against the party, I would like to see if these specialists are earning their keep. If there is no rebuttal to this post, then rest assured you can assume they are just another waste of money.

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