Kuala Lampur, May 2 -- An ex-academic campaigns against his former party and coalition.

He may be a headache that lasts longer than the current by-election in Kuala Kubu Baru.

To understand the predicament, colonial era developments must be unearthed, explaining the fate of an ethnic group then, and may inform somewhat its fate in the future.

Early and brave

For New Economic Policy children, born after 1963, the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) was arcane, enthralled by the cult of S. Samy Vellu. A party unable to make sense of itself or sense of the world - or at least Malaysia - for its members.

To regular Malaysians, party president and minister Samy Vellu was comedy gold with his Malay language faux pas like hisap dada(h) and derm...