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Monday, June 13, 2011

Soft touch failing, Palanivel tries the hard

Palanivel is accused of using Samy Vellu’s approach to dealing with dissent. — file pic
ANALYSIS, June 13 — Having tried a softer approach to leading MIC, Datuk G. Palanivel has now taken a page from his authoritarian predecessor’s handbook by sacking a vociferous critic who found fault with his new, inclusive methods.

Bagan MIC division chairman Datuk Henry Benedict Asirvatham was given the boot on Friday, believed to be over his open opposition to the MIC president’s decision to readmit V. Mugilan, G. Kumar Aamaan and KP Samy.

He was sacked from the MIC by Tan Sri KS Nijhar, the disciplinary committee chairman, after an inquiry last week. He now has a fortnight to appeal his sacking.

The three men Asirvatham opposes were major detractors of Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s, and had been shown the door after insisting that the then MIC president expedite his retirement plans.

Asirvatham felt their readmission was unconstitutional and that the proper way was to readmit them only after two years. He also maintains they should have not been reinstated to their previous ranks.

Asirvatham’s dismissal is also expected to trigger a mass exit by the members from his division.

Another dissenter, Youth wing secretary S. Sivarajah, has been similarly critical of the readmissions, and has now drawn the attention of the disciplinary committee.

Sivarajah has also gone one step further, lodging a complaint with the Registrar of Societies over the matter.

A text message is now being circulated within the party on the issue, and questions the constitutionality of the manner in which the three were taken back and restored to their former positions as central working committee (CWC) members.

The text also accuses of Palanivel of attempting to fill the ranks of the CWC with the formerly expelled so as to bolster his own support there.

It goes on to describe a ploy by the MIC president of making a show of wanting unity on one hand while silencing dissent with the other.

Aside from the party intrigues, Asirvatham’s expulsion may further frustrate Barisan Nasional and MICs plans of winning back the Bagan Dalam state seat in Penang.

Bagan Dalam has 17,194 registered voters, with Chinese voters making up 52.6 per cent, Malays 24.3 per cent and Indians 22.3 per cent.

MIC contested both the Bagan Dalam and Prai state seats in Election 2008 but with anticipated exodus of the MIC division members in the former constituency, there may be no MIC man to put up there in the coming general election.

However, Palanivel may be planning to trade Bagan Dalam for another Malay-majority seat with the Indian voters or possibly place another candidate there and hopefully win on the back of returning Indian support.

Asirvatham, a supporter of deputy president Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, has openly eyed the seat which was contested by Senator PK Suppiah, now the Penang MIC chief, and which was lost to DAP’s A. Thanasekharan in 2008.

“It’s going to be a sure defeat for MIC and BN in Bagan Dalam if the party leadership upholds the termination,” a CWC member said.

“The sacking of Asirvatham is an unwanted problem now. Why can’t division chairman speak out if they feel aggrieved,” he said. “Is sacking the only way?”

Asirvatham had also claimed that Palanivel was plotting to “politically kill” the party deputy president.

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