MIC leaders urged to stop ‘vindictive’ politics

The ongoing crisis in MIC Bagan division will cripple Barisan Nasional’s aspirations in Penang.

BUTTERWORTH: Two Bagan MIC division leaders are in hot soup for backing a suspended division chairman as candidate for the Bagan Dalam state seat in the 13^th general election.

Sources said MIC national disciplinary committee chairman KS Nijhar has been under tremendous pressure from certain MIC top leaders to sack the duo – Bagan acting chairman M Letchimanasamy and secretary S Muniandy.

Both Letchimanasamy and Muniandy had thrown their support behind Henry Benedict Asirvatham’s candidacy.

Sources said the party central working committee (CWC) meeting on Friday Nov 11 may even direct Nijhar’s committee to initiate proceedings with the aim of expelling the duo from the party.

It’s learnt the certain top party leaders have been bombarded with text messages to take stern action against the duo.

Letchimanasamy and Muniandy had reportedly urged MIC’s national leadership to terminate Henry’s suspension and reinstate him as the rightful Bagan division chief.

The duo have also criticized the state leadership helmed by chairman Senator PK Subbaiyah for appointing party state secretary M Karuppanan as Bagan Dalam’s BN coordinator last month.

It’s a BN practice that a constituency coordinator would be the front runner for candidacy in the next general election.

People prefer Henry

Both, Letchimanasamy and Muniandy, have argued that Bagan Dalam voters would prefer Henry over anyone else.

They have even called for Prime Minister and BN national chairman Najib Abdul Razak to intervene and replace Karuppanan with Henry.

The press statements obviously have infuriated certain quarters, who are now calling for the duo’s heads.

When contacted Letchimanasamy said he and Muniandy have not received any official show cause letters from the party headquarters.

However, he said they were prepared to face the disciplinary committee for standing up for the rights of Bagan MIC division.

He argued that he and Muniandy have not spoken against any MIC leaders.

“What we told the press was the reality of the problem.

“We were reflecting the grassroots sentiments.

“We want the best for MIC to win back the seat,” he said.

Caught off-guard

He said the division leadership was caught off guard with Karuppanan’s appointment as the constituency coordinator.

“We were never foretold about it,” alleged Letchimanasamy.

He claimed that the division was now being besieged with queries by members and supporters over the appointment.

“They are asking us who’s Karuppanan.

“The grassroots are unhappy.

“We have to face their wrath due to the state leadership’s shortcoming,” said Letchimanasamy.

The Bagan MIC crisis does not augur well for BN, which is aspiring to win back between 10 and 15 state seats that it lost to Pakatan Rakyat in the last general election.

Bagan Dalam, which is among those seats, has 17,194 registered voters of which the Chinese account for 52.6%, Malays 24.3% and Indians 22.3%.

MIC contests the Bagan Dalam and Prai state seats under BN’s electoral arrangement in Penang.

Bagan Dalam, which comes under the Bagan parliamentary constituency, is currently held by DAP’s A Tanasekharan, who defeated incumbent Subbaiyah in the 2008 election.

Expelling Letchimanasamy and Muniandy, on top of Henry’s suspension, would likely trigger the closure of Bagan MIC division.

If the division, which has 15 branches and over 2,000 members, were to close shop, party insiders said MIC chances of regaining Bagan Dalam will be “virtually zero.”

Political tsunami aside, another reason MIC was defeated in Bagan Dalam then was the four-year suspension of the Bagan division (2006 – 2010).

Crisis could spread

Now the same danger of not having local party election machinery in the constituency looms.

BN component parties may openly support any MIC candidate fielded in Bagan Dalam.

But in private, they prefer the suspended Henry, who would be back as an active member after his suspension expires on December 31.

Sources said BN component parties believe that being a prominent local politician Henry’s winning prospects were much better than others.

He is said to be getting along well with all component parties, community groups and NGOs in Bagan.

He has also contributed financially to various religious and social organizations as well as places of worship.

“Local constituents are more familiar and closer with Henry. He is winnable candidate for BN,” said a local BN leader.

MIC insiders believe the effects of the Bagan Dalam crisis could spill over to the neighbouring Prai seat, currently held by DAP’s Deputy Chief Minister II (DCM 2) P Ramasamy.

They said vindictive politics would never end Bagan crisis and wanted party top brass to resolve it amicably in a democratic way.

“Or else, we can kiss goodbye to Bagan Dalam,” they said.