KUALA LUMPUR: MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel says unhappy voters cannot be sold on the idea of development alone.

As such, he said, the Barisan Nasional must be aware of all facts, especially of the “state of unhappiness” of voters when they went to the polls.

“These unhappy voters were not willing to buy our 'cup of coffee'. The hard lesson for Barisan is that happiness cannot be bought by selling development alone,” he said in his first statement since Barisan took a severe knock in the general election.

Palanivel said voters who had been hurt and unhappy over many big and little issues “have sent us a clear message.”

Barisan must now look at the causes of unhappiness and address these causes with sincerity, he said.

“Warnings and counter-warnings cannot be the answer to this question of unhappiness. It might cause more unhappiness and resentment among the people,” he added.

Palanivel, however, said Barisan could win back the confidence of the voters it lost, but that it would be a slow process, and the map must be carefully drawn without hurting voters.

“Policies and even leaders who keep hurting people's feelings must be looked at very seriously.”

On the MIC's dismal performance, Palanivel said it was one of the biggest moments of failure and defeat for the party.

He said MIC must look at the internal as well as the external factors.

“There are no instant cures. What we faced was not an instant storm but one that was brewing for quite some time. Not seeing it was certainly one of our faults.

“Rebuilding the party is not an easy process but it has to be done,” he said. – Bernama