Universiti Malaya had no "ill-intentions" when it recently appointed a non-Indian to head its Indian Studies Department (ISD).

The appointment, it is said, would be "temporary" and follows intra-departmental rivalry among four Indian candidates lobbying to be ISD Head.

samy vellu cooperative interview 060709 08 MIC President Samy Vellu (right) made this clarification in a hurried late pre-breakfast (Indian time) mobile telephone call to Malaysiakini from Chennai, India.

He did not say what he's doing there.

"All four candidates claim that they are the best qualified to head the Indian Studies Department of Universiti Malaya," said Samy Vellu in response to an earlier text message on the growing controversy.

"None of them are willing to accept the other to head the ISD. In fact, they even went to the extent of warning the vice-chancellor on the matter."

Samy Vellu alleged the ISD was in a shambles and was driving away students because of the in-fighting and factionalism as well.

Students are even being asked to openly declare which candidate they support to head the ISD, according to Samy Vellu.

"Universiti Malaya is now looking for a suitable candidate to head the ISD after the departure of its former head Associate Professor Kumaran Suberamaniam," disclosed Samy Vellu.

"None of the four aspiring candidates would probably be considered for the appointment since they can't seem to work together without questioning one another's credentials."

Samy Vellu did not say whether he would accept the appointment of a non-Indian, as an "interim" measure, to head the ISD.

However, he quickly added that "the appointment would be confined to just administering the ISD for the moment and nothing beyond this scope".

Samy Vellu does not the discount the possibility of UM scouting around internationally for a suitable candidate to head the ISD.

Non-ethnic Indian experts also

The search may not be confined to persons of ethnic Indian origin and could be extended to include Indian scholars who may not be of ethnic Indian origin.

The criteria to be ISD Head, it is understood, would be a person well-versed in Indian studies and scholarship and it was accepted that not all eminent scholars in this area are of ethnic Indian origin.

universiti malaya um campus election 190109 01 However, the ISD has since its inception, has generally confined itself to an introductory course on the linguistics, literary, religious and socio-cultural heritage of the Indian community in Malaysia.

Samy Vellu thinks that the ISD has been rapidly going downhill over the years and has done little justice to the greatness of the Indian civilization.

He agreed with other critics who say that the ISD has done little to go beyond what is said to be an outdated mindset and the pre-occupation with ‘parochial issues'.

This, it is agreed, has driven away not only many Indian students but others also others who were interested in Indian scholarship.

Earlier media reports had Samy Vellu fuming over the appointment of a non-Indian to head the ISD and calling on UM "not to repeat its mistake" and demanding "a commitment that an Indian will be appointed to head the ISD".

He has also been quoted as saying that he will raise the matter with Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak if no solution is found as soon as possible.

Many other Indian leaders have jumped on the bandwagon as well in recent days and given their take on the subject.

Not all of them admitted to being familiar with the issue of a non-Indian heading the ISD.

According to an all too brief write-up on the Universiti Malaya website, the Department of Indian Studies was established in 1956 under the Faculty of Arts and Social Science at the Lembah Pantai campus in Kuala Lumpur.

Its main purpose is to conduct academic activities such as teaching, undertake publications, research and consultancy services.

Over the last half century, according to the website, "the department has shown outstanding intellectual achievement and has contributed towards shaping (of more) learned Malaysians".