Having lost his own seat on March 8, then scurrying out of the hall where he had awaited the poll result with a surly ‘goodbye’ to the media and his adoring fans, Samy Vellu, the former works minister and long-time Mahathir Mohamad lackey – until their recent falling out – is back, and bigger and better.

Who needs Bollywood when Samy has a cult-like status that would make the late South Indian movie great, MGR, squirm in embarrassment. Or envy. Somehow, Bollywood actors can make a Lazarus-like return from the brink of impossibile imponderables look like child’s play. So here’s Samy … again.