‘Somebody told me to go for Cameron’

MIC president G Palanivel also reveals that the prime minister did not pick MIC candidates but it was done by the party itself.

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president G Palanivel today revealed that he initially wanted to contest the Sungi Siput parliamentary seat but decided to fight for the Cameron Highlands constituency because “somebody” told him to do so.

“First I wanted to go to Sungai Siput, but later I decided to contest in Cameron Highlands…somebody told me to contest the seat,” he told reporters after announcing the party’s list of candidates for the upcoming 13th General Elections.

Palanivel however did not mention who that “somebody” was.

Nominations for the polls is on Saturday while voting is on May 5.

Palanivel has been without a seat after his loss in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency in the 2008 general election. In the polls, then party president S Samy Vellu also lost the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat.

The Sungai Siput seat is traditionally contested by the MIC president. But this time around Palanivel chose to contest Cameron Highlands, which is relatively an easier seat for Barisan Nasional compared to Sungai Siput.

MIC has nominated party vice-president SK Devamany, who is also deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, to fight the Sungai Siput seat.

At the same press conference, Palanivel contradicted himself saying that all candidates appointed by the party was decided by the party.

“All the candidates are chosen by the party. We submit three to four names for a seat and he [the prime minister] endorses them. So all candidates are chosen by the party. The PM only advises based on the list submitted to him,” Palanivel said.

The MIC chief is also confident that the party would win all nine parliamentary seats it would contest.

“As for the 18 state seats we are contesting, we can win 14 to 16 seats.

“With the good combination of Malay, Chinese and Indian support, the BN can take back Selangor, Kedah and Perak. Voters mood favours the BN,” he said.

He also urged party leaders not selected to contest to calm down.

“Do not worry. I will take care off them by offering senatorships and GLC positions,” he said.