Palani ‘sacks’ aide Dr Vijay

An NGO says the MIC president was reacting to questions about the aide’s right to call himself a political secretary or even a private secretary.

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president G Palanivel has told Dr Vijendran Shanmugam, who allegedly claimed he was the former’s political secretary, to quit within a week, according to a local NGO.

S Gobi Krishnan, chairman of the People’s Welfare and Rights Organisation (Power), said he received the news by text message from Palanivel himself.

Dr Vijendran, who is often referred to as Dr Vijay, is alleged to have distributed call cards describing himself as political secretary to the MIC president, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

A Tamil daily recently questioned his appointment to the post, saying he was a bankrupt. According to documents shown to FMT, the Department of Insolvency declared Dr Vijendran a bankrupt last March 1.

Subsequent to the report in the Tamil paper, he clarified that he was a private secretary to Palanivel, not his political secretary. He also denied that he was a bankrupt.

Observers of MIC politics are questioning his right to distribute name cards indicating his position as political secretary when he has not taken the oath of secrecy before the Prime Minister.

Gobi Krishnan said he recently raised this question in a text message to Palanivel and urged him to call for Dr Vijendran’s resignation within 48 hours, threatening to lodge reports with the police and MACC.

It was in reply to the message that the MIC president said he had told Dr Vijendran to resign within a week, Gobi Krishnan added.

He said Power checked Dr Vijendran’s status on Oct 4 and found that he was still a bankrupt.

“It seems like Dr Vijay has given false reports to media,” he added.

“Palanivel is the boss. He should be the one clearing the air. Even if Dr Vijay is the private secretary, it is still not right. A declared bankrupt cannot hold any government position”.

Gobi Krishnan also said that by saying he was only a private secretary, Dr Vijay had dug his own grave.

“There is evidence to show that he is a declared bankrupt. Now Dr Vijay has to dispute that. But it is Palanivel’s duty to clear the air.”

FMT has been unable to obtain a clarification from Dr Vijay.