Palanivel, Subramaniam To Woo MIC Branch Chairmen At PWTC This Weekend
PUTRAJAYA, June 19 (Bernama) -- The second-leg battle for the MIC presidency will begin when party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and his deputy, Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam meet MIC branch chairmen tomorrow and Sunday, respectively.
Since February, the leaders and their key players have been campaigning to woo 3,700 grassroots leaders nationwide, meeting them at restaurants and hotels.
The two leaders will continue to put their best foot forward in their second-leg of what has been dubbed as 'Perhimpunan Khas' (special gathering), with more than 2,500 branch chairmen at the Putra World Trade Centre at noon this weekend.
Party observers said this gathering was very much needed for both to convince and explain their actions and standings in the party to enable branch chairmen to choose the right leader who can bring reforms and renewals to keep the MIC relevant.
Describing the gathering as a peaceful one, MIC strategic director A. K. Ramalingam said Palanivel and his team would meet branch chairmen to explain his 'leadership of reform', and take the party to the next level.
"Tomorrow's gathering is to merely show strong support to the elected party president Datuk Seri Palanivel and we want to clarify the false accusation made by troublemakers that Palanivel is no more a member and president (of MIC)," he told Bernama when contacted.
On a group led by former Youth leader Datuk T. Mohan to confront Palanivel over his membership, Ramalingam said they were ready to tackle the group's dissatisfaction and questions, as long as they did not stage a protest like previously, at the party headquarters in February.
Meanwhile in KUALA LUMPUR, vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan cited the reasons why he begged to differ on the intention of Palanivel's gathering tomorrow.
He said Palanivel lost his standing in the party and his right to make decisions after violating Section 91 of the MIC constitution which stipulated that whoever went to court without the endorsement of the Central Working Committee automatically lost his or her membership.
"I was told this gathering is not just confined to party members. So, please cancel this and stop confusing the grassroots leaders with false news," he told reporters after meeting a delegation of Chennai traders today.
On the Sunday gathering, Saravanan, who is an ally of Dr Subramaniam said some 2,800 branch chairmen had confirmed their attendance to get an update on MIC and Palanivel's status in the party.
Senator Datuk S. Vigneswaran hoped the gatherings by Palanivel and Dr Subramaniam did not worsen the party crisis.
"If that happens, then reconciliation will not be possible, only retaliation. Hopefully, by God's Grace, both teams reach a compromise for the betterment of the party and community," he said.
A branch chairman who declined to be named said he would be attending both gatherings and vote as he saw fit, based on issues on the ground and who would make a better leader.
"The crisis must come to an end. There are good and capable leaders in both camps and should be working together for the community," he noted.
-- BERNAMA
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| Hold Re-Elections And Move On, MIC Told
By S. Kisho Kumari
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- The MIC's image took yet another beating this week following the turn of events after the High Court on Monday rejected two judicial review applications to annul the Registrar of Societies' (RoS) directive to the MIC to hold re-elections.
The applications were filed by MIC President Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and four others.
Datuk Seri S.K. Devamany, a member of the RoS-recognised interim 2009-2013 Central Working Committee (CWC), said with the court ruling, it was time for the MIC to conduct re-elections and move forward.
"We've been caught in the doldrums for far too long. People are questioning the relevance of this party and they think we're only interested in holding onto power, rather than worry about this 70-year-old party's representation of the Indian community in Malaysia," he said.
He told Bernama the court decision reconfirmed the validity of the interim 2009-2013 CWC, in which the RoS has vested the responsibility to conduct re-elections to decide the future destiny of the party.
Stressing that the party could only get its house in order after the fresh elections, Devamany said there was a dire need for the MIC to work towards reinstating its dignity and earning the respect of the people.
"All that turmoil in the party has been confusing the people and we are feeling embarrassed too. But we're trying our best to get things moving as per the RoS directive," he said.
NO POWER
On Tuesday, Palanivel suspended his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and 14 others for a year with immediate effect for defying his orders not to hold the party's interim 2009-2013 CWC meeting.
Subramaniam had convened the meeting on Monday following the High Court's decision to reject the two judicial review applications.
Subramaniam has claimed that Palanivel has no power to suspend him and the 14 others, namely MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan, Wanita chief Mohana Muniandy and CWC members Devamany, N. Rawisandran, Datuk R. Ganesan, Datuk M. Davendran, Datuk K.R.A. Naidu, Datuk V.M. Panjamothy, P. Manivasagam, S. Ananthan, M. Mathuraiveran, Datuk M. Asojan, P. Shanmugan and K.R. Parthiban.
On Tuesday, Subramaniam chaired another interim CWC meeting at the MIC headquarters although their party membership had been suspended.
The MIC crisis erupted following differences in opinion between Palanivel and his deputy after the RoS issued a notice last Dec 5 directing the party to hold fresh elections for the three vice-presidential and 23 CWC posts.
The RoS had nullified the elections held in November 2013 following complaints of irregularities.
NEGATIVE IMPACT FROM COMMOTION
Meanwhile, Assoc Prof Dr Sarjit Singh Gill, who is a senior lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia's Department of Social Sciences and Development, said all that commotion in the MIC was having a negative impact on the Indian community and warned that the opposition could capitalise on it to gain political mileage.
"I'm looking at the impact from the political to the socio-economic aspects...it's the community who will be at the losing end at the end of the day. They have placed their trust in MIC but look at what is happening to the party now," he told Bernama.
He said the community has enough socio-economic woes to contend with and seriously required sincere leaders who could look into their plight and help them.
Sarjit said since the High Court had already passed judgement on the matter, the two top MIC leaders should meet and discuss the next course of action.
"But this is not happening. The leaders are not trying to settle the issues, in fact they're creating more problems...very undemocratic," he added.
Assoc Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Social Sciences, said the party's top two leaders - instead of claiming ownership of the top party post - should mobilise the party's resources and focus on resolving the various outstanding issues.
The political analyst said the party's failure in finding remedies to settle the crisis showed that it was more interested in stoking up its internal conflict than to move forward.
He added that he would not be surprised if most Indian voters abandoned the MIC and voted for the opposition at the next general election.
Barisan Nasional Secretary-General Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had said on Wednesday that the coalition would not intervene in the worsening MIC leadership crisis.
Although he expressed his concern over the current developments, he believed that the party could sort out its problems internally.
-- BERNAMA
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| MIC Needs Help From Third Party To Resolve Crisis - Analyst
KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- MIC's internal crisis which has deepened considerably requires the intervention of a neutral party as mediator to resolve the crisis, political veterans and analysts said.
They feel it was time for MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam provided help by a third party to resolve the problems faced by the party.
MCA veteran Datuk Yap Pian Hon said the MIC should take similar measures as MCA when the party was faced with a crisis in the 1980s, that was to allow Barisan Nasional (BN) to assist the party to resolve their internal crisis.
He said the current MIC crisis was very similar to that experienced by the MCA at that time when the president and deputy president were at loggerheads.
"With the help of BN's negotiations, MCA was reunited," he told Bernama here today when referring to the MCA's leadership crisis involving Datuk Dr Neo Yee Pan and Datuk Mak Hoon Kam with Tan Koon Swan in 1985.
Umno veteran Datuk Mustapha Yaakub said the MIC does not need to be cold towards help that is offered by third parties, especially from BN component parties who want to help.
"BN wants to help solve the problem, but do not let our good intentions be misinterpreted. MIC proved today that it cannot resolve the problem within, it is best the MIC finds a solution through mediators outside MIC irrespective whether the help is from UMNO, MCA or even Gerakan," he said.
Former Wanita Umno chief, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, is of the opinion that BN component parties should give priority to the interests of the party and BN.
She said if any party in BN is really facing an impasse in resolving the crisis that has engulfed the party, the party leadership should seek the advice of BN's top leadership.
Meanwhile, political analyst Associate Professor Dr Ahmad Marthada Mohamed of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) said both MIC leaders must put aside their personal interest and come to a compromise in order to resolve the crisis.
"I'm sure they realise, if they do not attempt to sit together and solve this crisis amicably, MIC in particular will be doomed and become irrelevant," the dean of the college of Law, Government and International Studies told Bernama today.
He pointed out that although the crisis in MIC was not something new as it also happened during previous leadership, Palanivel seems to be dragging it without a clear solution.
In fact the recent court decision rejecting Palanivel and four others' request to nullify the Registrar of Societies (RoS) order to hold fresh party elections, seemed to have taken a new twist.
Marthada also shared the same sentiment as others that a mediator was needed in this crisis and the mediator could come from within the party or be an outsider because
BN had tried to intervene but it seems MIC leaders refused as they initially wanted to solve the problem by themselves.
Another political analyst, Associate Professor Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, suggested that fresh elections for all posts, including party president and deputy president, would be the best solution to solve the crisis.
"This solution, in my opinion, would resolve and put a stop to the matter. This problem must not go on until it damages the 68 year-old party's image," the lecturer with Universiti Sains Malaysia's Social Science Studies Centre said.
-- BERNAMA |
| Palanivel's Decision To Seek Legal Redress Against ROS Violated MIC Constitution - Saravanan
KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- The action of Datuk Seri G Palanivel to seek legal redress against the Registrar of Societies (RoS) without referring to the MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) is against the party's constitution says Vice President Datuk M Saravanan.
Saravanan told reporters at the MIC headquarters Thursday that the suit against the RoS was in violation of Article 91 of the party's constitution, which prohibits any member from taking party matters to court without the approval of the CWC.
Article 91 of the MIC's constitution reads: "Every member shall be bound by the decision of the Central Working Committee in matters relating to his rights, obligations, duties and privileges as a member of the Congress.
"If the member resorts to court proceedings in respect of his rights, obligations, duties and privileges or on behalf of any other member or in respect of the rendering or meaning of the provisions of this Constitution without first referring to the Central Working Committee or in violation of any decision or directive of the Central Working Committee he shall 'ipso facto' cease to be a member of the Congress and shall not be entitled to exercise any of the rights of a member," Sarawanan said.
On Tuesday, Palanivel stressed that he was still the MIC president and dismissed claims by the party's CWC that he had lost his party membership automatically.
Palanivel had said the provisions of the MIC Constitution does not in any way affect the membership of members who commence legal proceedings against third parties.
The High Court had on Monday dismissed two judicial review applications by MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and four others - vice presidents Datuk S. Sothinathan, Datuk S. Balakrishnan, former secretary-general A Prakash Rao and CWC member A.K.Ramalingam - who had challenged the RoS' directive to conduct fresh election for the posts of three vice presidents and 23 CWC members.
Saravanan who is also the Deputy Youth and Sports Minister clarified that the 2009 Interim CWC did not have the powers to sack Palanivel or appoint Deputy President Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam as the acting president as reported recently.
"We don't have the power to sack the president or to appoint the acting president. When the president is not an MIC member then the 2009 Interim CWC cannot run without a head and the next is the deputy president who becomes the acting president.
"Dr Subramaniam did not announce he is an acting president. The 2009 Interim CWC in a meeting on Tuesday decided that since there was no president, his deputy will be the acting president," he said.
However, MIC can still accept Palanivel and four others who had sought legal action, if they submitted their application to become members.
Saravanan said the 2009 Interim CWC had decided that nomination dates for the MIC re-election would be from July 10 to 12 and branch elections from July 17 to 19, nationwide.
"The election for president will be in August while the election for divisions has been scheduled in September and finally the election for central will be in October," he said.
Meanwhile, Sothinathan in a statement insisted that the judicial review initiated by them did not contravene the party constitution since "the judicial review proceedings against the Registrar of Societies was not a court proceeding taken by us as members in respect of any decision made by the Central Working Committee in respect of our rights, obligations, duties and privileges as members of MIC.
"Therefore, Article 91 of the MIC Constitution does not apply at all and reliance on it by Dr Subramniam and his group is wholly misconceived," he said.
He said it can be seen from the clear provisions of Article 91 of the MIC Constitution that Palanivel, Balakrishnan, him, Prakash Rao and Ramalingam" had retained their membership in MIC and all allegations to the contrary are false.
--BERNAMA |
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