173/365 – Malaysian Indian Congress

Leader: G. Palanivel
Founded: August 1946
Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Youth wing: MIC Youth Movement
Ideology: Nationalism, Conservatism
National affiliation: Barisan Nasional
Parliament: 3 / 222
Website: http://www.mic.org.my/

The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) is a Malaysian political party and is one of the founding members of the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, previously known as the Alliance, that has been in power since the country achieved independence in 1957.

The MIC was established in August 1946, and has ceased to exist at the end of World War II, to fight for Indian independence from British colonial rule.

After India gained its independence, MIC involved itself in the struggle for the independence of Malaya (now Malaysia which was achieved in 1957). It positioned itself for representation on behalf of the Indian community in the post-war development of the country.

The MIC joined the National Alliance comprising the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) in 1954 which became the Barisan Nasional in 1973 with further expansion in the number of component parties. The current head of the MIC is President Dato’ Palanivel Govindasamy.

Like the other racially based political parties in multi-racial Malaysia, membership in MIC is open to all people of Indian origin.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_Indian_Congress