Sasindran Muthuvel on Verge of being PNG’s First Indian MP
Last month I wrote a wrote a piece on Malaysian-Chinese migrant Simon Sia, and the possibility of Sia becoming Papua New Guinea’s first Asian-born Member of Parliament.
Sia, owner of Goroka-based Bintangor group of companies and exclusive sponsor of rugby-league team Goroka Lahanis, stands a good chance in winning the Eastern Highlands Provincial seat.
But he’s not the only interesting naturalized citizen contesting the 2012 National Election.
In West New Britain (WNB), Sasindran Muthuvel, an ethnic Indian and naturalized PNG citizen, is also hoping to become governor of his province. And if successful, Muthuvel will become PNG’s first Indian MP.
Muthuvel is standing under Joseph Lelang’s Coalition Reform Party, a newly registered political party concentrating its efforts in West New Britain, and hoping to win up to 3 seats from the 15 candidates it endorsed.
Most Papua New Guineans would know very little of Sasindran Muthuvel, but he is quite well-known in WNB thanks to his retail trading business, Hamamas Trading Ltd, which employs around 150 people and turns over approximately US$3.75 million per annum.
And his popularity is significant, with Count 29 of the West New Britain Provincial seat showing that Muthuvel had polled 11,465 votes – in front of Independent Chris Lagisa on 8348 votes, People’s United Assembly Party’s Camillus Vovore on 6825 votes, People’s Progress Party’s Peter Arul on 6336 votes – and well ahead of incumbent and Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party candidate Peter Humphreys on 5065 votes.
With counting now heading into the elimination round with second and third preference votes, Muthuvel stands an extremely good chance of picking up enough votes from those candidates below him to help push him over the required 50% + 1 threshold.
PNG could very well be looking at our first Indian-born, raised and educated Member of Parliament.
The Garamut 
Intresting. Png cud do well to legislate that future mps must be able 2 fluently speak one or more of pngs local dialects from the electorate they wish to contest. Ths includes also the many native Pngs urbanites who dont speak their native dialects.
‘Donpa’ – Possibly. From memory, the test to become a naturalized citizen in the first instance includes the requirement to be able to speak at least one of PNG’s languages. Not totally confident on this, but I do recall reading something about it a while ago. Does anybody know?
Indeed interesting!
Just a thought, does the language count to serve the people or the Leadership, Vision, Humility, Humaneness and for political leadership with administration ability?
When Mother Theresa went to India, she hardly was fluent in English and not even an Indian language but rest is well known.
‘Leadership’ – Fair point. Similar points were raised in my previous article on Simon Sia (link above). At the end of the day, a naturalized citizen of PNG is a Papua New Guinean – and if s/he is voted in by fellow Papua New Guineans, then I can’t see that as being a issue. True, there may be some cultural issues, but I would imagine that the naturalized citizen elected to be an MP is well-versed in the culture(s) of the people they represent.
leadership is about not making enough in shops and wanting more in png politics!! An indian caring to serve the rural png life he knows nothing about!! what a joke.
Sasi is running 2nd but the votes polled so far on PNGEC is inaccurate. Him and the guy in front polled 4000 plus votes.
‘Lyndon Marley Garie’ – Thank you for this. I noticed the numbers were switching back and forth, but they settled down after a while. I’ll keep a watch on this. Rgds, Tavurvur.
After count 15, Sasi Muthuvel 5219, Peter Arul 5185 running 2nd. Very interesting.
regardless of color or race what is important is the imput they put into moving our nation forward.
I wonder if tavurvur has done sufficient homework on the Indian candidate before showering him with praises. Assisted by WNB leaders a few years ago to obtain citizenship to do business in kimbe and while doing so has been attempting to acquire state land in kimbe to expand his business but failed under the previous regime. teaming with lelang after lelang got disposed from NPO with couple of millions, it was all about the money play and revenge. In WNB its all about money politics, and off course its paying off now.
‘Channel Vira’ and ‘Chief’ – since you’re the same person, how have I “showered Sasindran with praises”? My article is objective, the only really ‘positive’ thing I identify is that Sasindran has a shot at being the next Governor of WNB. That is obviously reflected in the numbers – and by the fact that he is leading the pack for now.
In regards to your points about Lelang and the acquisition of State land in Kimbe – yes, I am aware of those issues. Name me one PNG politician who hasn’t been implicated in some sort of deal or agreement which hasn’t been above the table per se?
Politics anywhere in the world is based on money. PNG is no different. That’s the nature of politics.
I supported our candidate Sasindran Muthuvel because,
1) When disaster strikes in WNB, irrespective of who is in Govt, his company Hamamas is the first one to assist the community.
2)His assistance to community, has a long history since 1999, he accepted our copra chqs knowingly when CMB/KIK no funds in their account.
3)His company assisted all our rural aid posts, run down schools, not jut now but since 2000, he has helped people who never received any single help from all various Govts who were in power.
4) All his help is only to communities not to individuals and the needy, it is in our custom, that we can not forget someone helped us when we are in desperate need, still most of us supported our so called wantoks n clan members.
5) Though he is an Indian born Papua New Guinean, he is true son of Central Nakanai, initiated by Kabulbulu Clan and he is a Chief, Swara in Tarobi Village, he is true son of Tarobi, who can deny that, he is truely a Papua New Guinean interms of citizenship and custom, if he wants to stand in 2007, he could have stood at that time, bec he did have his citizenship since 2007, citizen is a Citizen, it doesn’t matter whether he got it in 2007 or later. He has his own clan members, family, haus boi, ground in Tarobi, can any one deny it?
6) When Kimbe town suffer with out electricity bec PPL has no fuel, though its not his busines
s to supply fuel, he made effort n supplied diesel worth of more than K60,000 inorder to save the town as our main Hospital KGH is in town, of course PPL will repay this, but who will assist Govt agancies? Shell. Mobil did nott assist, but Hamamas Trading assisted.
7) He established Hamamas Trading in a rural area in Central Nakanai in 2004 to provide service to people in cenaka, he brought the service to our door steps in rural areas, provide banking service through save card machines, mobile banking, save our money K20 to go to Kimbe town, assist. In communication thru vsat and free market facility our rural mothers.
Sasi and Hamamas Trading are synanimous with WNB, thousands of people benefited from their service, he did not collect votes from just one area (LLG), he collected votes from all 11 LLG’s, none of his box is Zero, unlike other candidates, who secured mostly (99%) of their votes from their own LLG’s and the other LLG’s they secure no votes or very small number? Why?
It is our prayer will make him strong to serve our people in wnb, its not easy for him, when other candidates rubbished him, and did all negative campaign against him like, He is a foreigner, muslim, terrorist, etc, n the truth is otherwise. In PNG Politics, if u r not popular in community you can not win, also those giving only in the last minute also can not win, unless you have a record in all communities that you have assisted them when they are in dire need. At various tiime, He jas assisted to bring the dead bodies of our loved ones to Kandrian, Gloucester, Bali etc, not during election but all his good deeds will be remebered.
Even during campaign, he never asked us to vote for him, he simply asked us to follow our heart, I am surprised also that he collected more votes inspite of most of the native candidates threaten their voters not to vote him or get killed etc, still people have risked n support him, to save the future of their children, he may not be 100% perfect, but he has a heart for small people like us, he knows our custom, at this point, we only can offer prayers and anxiously wait for the results, It is GOD, who decides the leadership, If JOSEPH from Israel can become the Governor of Egypt, then why not he becomes the Governor of WNB, history can repeat itself, some candidates even threaten openly to Kill him, buy if God protects someone, who can hurt him? I pray to the Almighty to give him all the stength and protection at this critical time.
‘WNB Resident’ – Thank you for shedding some more light on why Sasindran is so popular in WNB. It’s the people’s choice, let’s see what happens.
So that’s what makes you think he can do the same for WNBP! Wait until he gets into parliament and you will see his true colours. Like minded businessmen don’t just throw away their money for nothing and I hope you do realize by now why he was doing it. He is no different, West New Briton people are know for their generosity and have initiated almost all foreigners who have come to call Kimbe their home. Yumi long long na aipas yet stap…
CONGRATULATION SIR, WE THE INDIANS PROUD OF YOU. FIGHT FOR RIGHT. I HAD HEARD ABOUT YOU BEFORE WHEN I CAME KIMBE AND 3 OTHER PORTS(BY SHIP). PEOPLE OF KIMBE WEST NEW BRITTAIN TOLD ME ABOUT YOUR NOMINATION. REALLY I’M PRAYING ALWAYS FOR YOUR VICTORY…. THANK YOU ALL VOTERS AND THAK YOU PAPUA NEW GUINEA’S GOVERNMENT…
So far so good and appreciate the amount of time and effort put in by Tavurvur by giving us up to date election details. I’m a long way away from PNG and have been quitely tracking Tavurvur on updates. Keep it up.
‘Apisai Jubilee’ – Thank you. I appreciate the gratitude. Rgds, Tavurvur.
He has lived with the people and has been a buisness man in Kimbe for a long time and his shops serve the people well, I dont see a reason why Sasindran he cannot make a good governor. Im a Kimbe product and the people of Kimbe know that too its in the votes
Very interesting detailed information about sasi. All the best about sasi can’t be denied. Undoubtedly that “sasi” was none other than the one dishing out heavy cash the nights before polling days. All were demonstrated acts of charity prior election period, but displayed during election period wasn’t anymore charitable acts but outright act of bribery. In short, the “good sasi” has totally been tarnished by the widespread common knowledge of buying votes with cash, goods & cargoes from hamamas trading. Besides that, it’s a pity not many people knew sasi was an agent of the world international charity organisation( I.C.O.). No wonder he was assisting during disaster stricken days in w.n.b; sadly we can’t see what’s from him & what’s from the I.C.O. It was a pity people were not able to see behind curtains. About his initiation into the kabulbulu clan of tarobi, what the tarobis did to sasi was not an honorable thing, but a disrespect & a slap on the face of all the kabulbulus from Open Bay in the east nakanai to kwalakesi in the west nakanai, if not, the whole “lakanai” tribe. The tarobis failed consultation from the nakanai council of chieves from all the nakanai haus bois and all the borned kabulubulu brothers & sisters from the east, central & west nakanai. The tarobis have not the sole outright traditional ownership of the kabulubulu clan, & any initiation must meet a wide consultation with common consenscious agreements over any traditional implications, in the end its repercussions so that the entire nakanai community must be united & wanbel. The tarobis should know what it imply to be initiated into a clan and initiation into haus boy. The tarobis can’t hold their heads high to claim sasi being a true nakanai, being initiated only to be nominated & using that as a vehicle for political popularity as a candidate to run againts all the true & blood sons of the kabulubulu clan & true sons of nakanai. Sasi has been the subject of political division among the nakanai families & tribe, and knowing well the cultural implication & repercussions, this political divisions caused in his involvement is a real test of his depth of nakanai cultural knowledge, to come to a wanbel pasin depicting true nakanai way & colours. Untill this is seen to be done by sasi, he is still far from knowing and living the nakanai way and being respected to be one of the true nakanai son & tribesman.
I am a Mangsing tribesman & culturally the Nakanais & the Mangsing are sister tribes. I’ve lived among the nakanais for over 10 years, worked among them for 7 years, taken into various nakanai families, did some custmary celebration with them, known well the tarobis, & with these range of knowledge, as well, vested with my cultural knowledge & our cross cultural interactions, the way sasi was taken to be a nakanai son, leave some loop holes that are deemed questionable.
‘Peter Lima’ – Interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing. Rgds, Tavurvur.
Heartyy congrats Mr. Sasinran Muthuvel….
Name one politician who did not hand out money. Some gave their own, while many led the the PM gave what was not his own but the tax payers money. SM is no different, except that he played out his cards differently and bidded his time. Now only time will tell.