Palanivel losing grip on MIC?

It is surely a sign of trouble when all the president's men fail to line up to show support for their president.

PETALING JAYA: Last Friday, MIC strategy director S Vell Paari blew his top. He was fed up with the way the party was being run and how the largest Indian-based party in the country was moving at a snail’s pace despite the looming general election.

The son of former president S Samy Vellu was also frustrated that the party was on the defensive mode most of the time, not speaking up on issues and unable to come out with blazing guns when Indians were criticised.

Instead of using the conventional method of addressing the issue, Vell Paari wrote an open letter to party chief G Palanivel expressing his dismay over how the party was run.

He wanted Palanivel to complain about academician Redzuan Tee Abdullah and Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali – both of whom made disparaging remarks about Indians in public – to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

Vell Paari just wanted MIC to be more vocal, and be seen to be doing good for the Malaysian Indian community as a whole.

Following the scathing open letter, FMT tried to obtain the party’s central working committee (CWC) members to comment on Vell Paari’s letter. The party has 23 elected and nine appointed CWC members.

It was surprising to note that many of those in the CWC, including those aligned to Palanivel, declined to comment.

Two CWC members, who are known to be Palanivel’s hardcore supporters, claimed that they never read the open letter in the first place. Another wanted to read the letter first and then comment later. But that was some 48 hours ago!

Two veteran leaders also aligned to Palanivel, meanwhile, said they would need a day or two to comment.

“I have to see how the other leaders react… I do not want to shoot when it is not my problem,” said one of the leaders who declined to be named.

The Samy Vellu factor

Only veteran leader KP Samy was willing to be quoted. And he went on to hit out at Vell Paari for channelling his grievances publicly instead of using the party mechanism to air his grouses.

So, the question now is: does Palanivel really enjoy the support of the party’s CWC?

“No, he does not. All those sitting in the CWC are from the previous administration of Samy Vellu. They are all Samy Vellu’s men. In fact, those appointed are also the former president’s men.

“This is the reason why Palanivel does not enjoy support. He should have formed his own CWC,” said a senior party leader when contacted by FMT.

MIC’s internal elections to pick leaders would be held this year after the general election. Its last election was in 2009, when Samy Vellu was still the party supremo.

Samy Vellu, who led the party with an iron fist for 30 years, had ensured that the CWC was made up of his supporters before he vacated his seat in the party. The party practises a unique system where the president is elected at least three months before the election of other top national office- bearers.

This is another reason why party leaders feared speaking out in support of the president.

“Whatever said and done, Samy Vellu still enjoys considerable support in the party. Why anger his supporters by attacking his son?” said a retired MIC leader, who declined to be named.