MIC Youth Uses Entertainment Approach To Regain Indian Youths’ Trust
By Kisho Kumari Sucedaram
KUALA LUMPUR : Effort by MIC Youth in getting closer to the younger generation of
the Indian community is starting to bear fruit after they embarked on a fun entertainment approach.
Youths love entertainment and music, and MIC Youth is going with the flow by organising nationwide concert tour, albeit on a small scale, but has managed to attract thousands of youth, beyond its own expectation. Its first concert in Kedah targeted 2,000 youths but some 3,000 turned up followed by Penang where 5,000 attended the concert that was initially targeted for 3,000 youths.
“The three-week ‘My Choice BN Concert Tour’ will be held at 11 locations and has kicked off in Sungai Petani on June 1 and will end in Johor on June 24,” MIC Youth Chief T. Mohan told Bernama in an interview recently.
The idea mooted by Mohan and Umno cum Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin has been successful, not only in entertaining the youths, but more importantly, in getting to know them better and provide a two-way communication channel for them to raise their grouses and aspirations too.
Mohan said the tour will focus on youths from suburban areas and villages with a minimum target of 2,000 people attending each concert, including youths from the Malay and Chinese communities. ”We are doing it in a small scale with few canopies set up at specific areas so that we can directly reach and manage each of them better, rather than big crowds,” he said.
The main objective of the tour is to let the Indian youths know that MIC cares for them and is always available to assist them in charting their future for the better. In so doing, he said, the youths who maybe apolitical in the first place, would be introduced to the various BN programmes and projects available for them.
“We need to show our concern and that we really care. Of course there is a subtle political agenda, that is to persuade and convince the Indian community to support BN as the party of people’s choice, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as the prime minister for all Malaysians,” he said.
The performance by popular local Indian groups like Darkey, Lock Up and Chakra, to name a few, would be the main attraction at the concerts. In between the concert, youth leaders will also be giving explanation to the crowds on the importance to become registered voters and the impact on the community of the decision they made with their votes come general election.
“We want them to open their eyes to all the good deeds made by the BN government, so that Indian youths would not be manipulated by the opposition who only want their votes but ended up doing nothing for them and the community,” Mohan added. And, to walk the talk, there are booths providing facilities and assistance for job seekers apart from offering information on business opportunities for them to grab.
“So far, the response is very impressive, even from non-Indian youths because we also have Chinese and Malay youths coming along with their Indian friends. For that, there are also Malay and Chinese songs performed during the concerts,” he said.
Mohan said some youths had also came forward to express their regret and dissatisfaction over their decision to vote for opposition parties in the last general election. ”Many said they ended up feeling guilty for making the wrong and emotional choice in voting the opposition when it has always been the BN government that work hard for them,” he said.
In the 12th general election, the MIC contested for nine parliamentary and 19 state seats but won only three parliament and seven state seats. Despite the defeats, the party managed to win back the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat in a by-election.
Since the 13th general election is just around the corner, Mohan said that the concert tour would serve as one of MIC Youth’s indirect campaign strategy to win the heart of the young and first-time voters. ”Information through entertainment approach could capture the youth’s mind easier as none of them lives without entertainment in their life,” he added.
