Palani in plot to take over Cameron Highlands?

A MIC insider alleges that the MIC chief met secretly with Umno man Wan Rosdy, who dislikes incumbent Devamany.

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC President G Palanivel had a secret meeting with the Cameron Highlands Umno chief last week in a plot to enable him to contest there in the coming election, a party insider has alleged.

According to the MIC source, part of the plan is to kill off the political career of the incumbent MP for Cameron Highlands, SK Devamany, so that Palanivel could contest in a constituency that BN is confident of winning. He gave no other details of the alleged plot.

Devamany is a vice president in MIC and a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. He beat DAP’s J Applasamy for the Cameron Highlands seat in both the 2004 and 2008 elections.

The insider said he was aware of speculation that Palanivel might also be interested in Padang Serai, a place he often visits these days. But Cameron Highlands was generally considered safer for MIC, he added.

Furthermore, according to several sources, Devamany is not on good terms with Cameron Highlands Umno chief Wan Rosdy Ismail.

Indeed, the secret meeting has become the talk of the town and rumours have spread that Palanivel has set his sights on becoming the next MP for the resort district. However, the idea is apparently not welcomed by local BN activists, including those from MIC.

The MIC insider said Palanivel and Wan Rosdy met at Bala Chalet in Tanah Rata following the MIC chief’s attendance at the inauguration of new buildings for a local Tamil school.

“The one-hour meeting only between Palanivel and Wan Rosdy and his supporters upset the other BN leaders,” he told FMT.

“If it was a meeting of BN component parties, why were the other component party leaders neglected? There could be no good reason for Palanivel to meet the Umno chief without the knowledge of local MIC leaders.”

Palani declines to comment

He claimed that many local BN supporters were unhappy that Palanivel was making use of Wan Rosdy’s dislike of Devamany.

“This is unfair. If Palani wants to prove his mettle in the upcoming election, then he should try his luck in one of the MIC seats that the party lost in 2008.”

He said Palanivel’s presence in Cameron Highlands might backfire and cause BN’s loss of the seat.

A FMT reporter met Palanivel later at a function, but he declined to comment about the alleged secret meeting.

“I meet a lot of people every day,” he said and walked off.

Devamany also declined to comment. “It is not right to comment about a meeting I’m not aware of,” he said.

Several Cameron Highlands Umno sources also informed FMT that Wan Rosdy was alone in his support for Palanivel as the other party leaders there were happy with Devamany.