Ramasamy: Whether “drunk on power” or “drunk on toddy”, UMNO-MIC partnership is about to rupture

Ramasamy: Whether “drunk on power” or “drunk on toddy”, UMNO-MIC partnership is about to rupture






WHATEVER one says about the MIC or its leadership, one thing is clear: the days of MIC’s subservience to UMNO are long gone.


The preponderant political power that UMNO once exercised has dissipated, arguably for good. It is difficult to imagine the party returning to its former dominance.


MIC which has travelled a long political journey since its founding now recognises that its long-standing political “marriage” with UMNO is effectively over.

MIC has been insulted, marginalised and pushed aside more than its leaders are perhaps willing to publicly acknowledge.

Yet, whatever criticisms may be levelled at MIC or MCA today, their historical contributions to the nation cannot be erased.




Without MIC and MCA, UMNO would not have been able to form the multi-racial governments that once defined Barisan Nasional (BN).

Corruption, abuse of power and political arrogance have brought UMNO to its present weakened state.

It no longer commands unquestioned loyalty nor can it credibly claim to be the sole champion of Malay interests. MIC for its part might not have contemplated leaving the BN fold had it been treated with respect and dignity as a genuine coalition partner.

‘Drunk on power vs drunk on toddy’

It is therefore only a matter of time before MIC makes a final decision on whether to sever ties with UMNO.

UMNO’s behaviour – often arrogant and self-serving – has deepened the sense of betrayal felt by its coalition partners, particularly after its decision to work with DAP within the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led Madani government.

Most recently, UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi attempted to downplay this alliance by stating that UMNO does not “sleep with” DAP in the PH coalition.



The implication was that although UMNO and DAP may be sharing the same political bed, they supposedly do not touch each other – an explanation that convinced few and re-assured even fewer.

Tensions escalated further in the exchange of barbs between UMNO and MIC leaders where the term “drunk” became a weapon of insult.

As MIC Youth chief K. Arvind criticised Zahid who is also the BN chairman for being “drunk on power”, UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh retorted by accusing MIC of being “drunk on toddy”, suggesting that the party was incapable of deciding whether to leave BN or join Perikatan Nasional (PN).



Dr Akmal who has often been conspicuously absent during major scandals re-appears periodically to stoke ethnic sentiments.

His repeated use of the phrase “drunk on toddy” – previously directed at others as well – raises questions about his own fixation with such imagery.

One might even say that his pattern of disappearance and sudden re-emergence suggests bouts of political intoxication of a different kind.

What is undeniable is that the relationship between UMNO and MIC will never return to what it once was.

UMNO’s greed and disregard for its partners have contributed significantly to the deterioration of ties between the two parties.

Established in 1946, UMNO and MIC once symbolised a foundational political partnership in the country. Today, that partnership is nearing its end.

Whether MIC eventually aligns itself with PN or chooses another path is secondary. The separation itself now appears inevitable. – Dec 16, 2025



Former DAP stalwart and Penang deputy chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.