Stop Palanivel’s madness, save MIC, says ex-leader

Former MIC treasurer-general Datuk R. Ramanan says Datuk Seri G. Palanivel is buying time with his threat to sue the Registrar of Societies (RoS). – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 17, 2015.

The turmoil in MIC continues with a former senior leader asking members to put a stop to president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel's "madness" and save the party from deregistration and possible ousting from ruling coalition Barisan Nasional.

Datuk R. Ramanan, the former treasurer-general, said the party chief was buying time by threatening to sue the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

This followed RoS' directive that MIC hold fresh elections for certain executive positions as well as for the central working committee posts, or risk deregistration.

Previously, Palanivel had also been accused of stalling fresh elections to tighten his grip on the party when he appointed new state leaders. This move angered his critics despite his claim he was doing his best to resolve the situation.

Ramanan said the Indian party in the ruling BN pact was in danger of being deregistered, and if happened, it would be "impossible" to be readmitted back into BN.

This was because it only required one veto from any of the 14 component parties to block the move and if this happened, he said Indians would lose out.

"I urgently call on all members of MIC who love the party to put a stop to this 'madness’ called Palanivel and save the party.

"Even his supporters must realise the implication of his selfish actions and let the members decide by calling for an EGM to immediately resolve this matter," he said in a statement.

Ramanan also alleged Palanivel had a hidden agenda to get MIC deregistered, pointing to the president's threat against RoS, which he claimed was made with the intention of discrediting the organisation.

He also said the Cameron Highlands MP's latest trick was to create a "smokescreen" to distract people following the RoS's investigations, which found numerous illegal branches being set up, an offence under the Societies Act. This led to its action in directing the party to conduct fresh polls.

"But Palanivel, who has been caught red-handed cheating and lying, then proceeded to divert the attention away from the crime that was committed by vilifying the RoS with unfounded accusations."

Ramanan poured scorn on Palanivel's absence from yesterday's meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and had instead sent secretary-general Datuk S. Sothinathan to replace him.

"Palanivel didn’t attend yesterday’s all important meeting with the PM under the pretext that his wife was gravely ill. Yet, he miraculously managed to issue a full page statement barely minutes after the secretary-general of BN gave his press conference, despite him not being there to know what transpired.

"The real reason he backed off from the meeting was out of fear that he will have to make another U-turn. His lack of respect for the PM is appalling and he even had the audacity to send a representative who wasn't even part of the 2009 CWC.

"What standing does any of Palanivel's representative have to meet the number one man of BN with regard to this serious party matter?"

BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had said yesterday a BN secretariat would be formed to intervene in the MIC saga to protect it from escalating further.

However, the move was rejected by Palanivel, who declared that no outsider was allowed to run the party and that BN has no jurisdiction to take over the administration or conduct of the party elections.

- TMI