Devamany denies tarnishing MIC’s image and credibility

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 26 — MIC vice-president and Cameron Highlands MP, Datuk S. K. Devamany today denied that he had done anything to tarnish the image and credibility of the party or its leadership, as alleged by certain parties.

Saying it was public knowledge that the party’s candidate list and seat allocation for the 13th General Election was the prerogative of Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak and MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, he emphasised that he had never acted beyond his powers.   

“Our (MIC) focus should be to ensure BN’s success and to wrest the seats lost during the last general election,” he told Bernama.  

Devamany, who is also deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, was commenting on a Tamil daily report which questioned his stance and loyalty towards the party and its president.   

The Tamil daily alleged that Cameron Highlands MIC members were actively conducting signature campaigns to enable Devamany to contest the seat.      

The daily further claimed that the campaign was a form of protest to prevent Palanivel, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, from contesting the seat which is considered ‘BN’S Safe Seat’.  

Speculation as to where Palanivel would contest at the next general election has been rife in the nation’s Tamil dailies since he became MIC president in December 2010.  

 At the last general election, Palanivel lost to PKR candidate, Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad in Hulu Selangor by only 198 votes after serving in the constituency since 1990. — Bernama