‘In the dark over presidential election’

The MIC election committee has no clue as to how many are eligible to vote for the presidential polls

PETALING JAYA: With less than a month to go for the MIC presidential polls, the party election steering committee seems to be in the dark on the number of voters eligible to cast their ballots to pick the party chief.

The election steering committee should, by now, have the number of those eligible to vote and spell out procedures for nomination of the presidential polls, slated for Sept 1.

MIC election steering committee chairman K Kumaran when contacted said he was only informed verbally that he has been appointed to the post yesterday.

FMT learnt that the party’s central working committee (CWC) decided on Kumaran in July after another veteran former leader rejected the position.

“I just got to know of this appointment verbally yesterday. No, I have not even received the appointment letter. I cannot comment when I do not have any black and white informing me of the appointment,” he told FMT when contacted today.

Kumaran said he would only announce details of the party’s presidential election after receiving his appointment letter, “presumably after Hari Raya.”

The MIC president will be decided by some 3,900 branch chairmen at the presidential election.
Election of other top office bearers — deputy president, three vice-presidents and 23 CWC members, would be held in November.

Meanwhile, efforts made by MIC president G Palanivel to strike deals with party leaders in ensuring a no contest for the president’s and its deputy’s position seems to be failing.

Party insiders reveal that MIC deputy president and Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam has not had “a change of heart” in taking on Palanivel at the presidential election to be held on Sept 22.

Yesterday FMT reported that Palanivel was in talks with several top party leaders to avert tussle for the party’s top two positions.

“There is no reason for Dr Subramaniam to pull out. All the party bigwigs like former president S Samy Vellu, vice presidents M Saravanan and S K Devamany, Wanita chief Komala Krishnamoorthy and Youth head T Mohan have pledged their support to Subramaniam.

“Why should he pull out when there are so many leaders backing him? He will only let them down if he really does pull out of the contest,” a source told FMT.

“Palanivel is having peace talks. When he met Saravanan recently, it was all about trying to convince Saravanan that he (Palanivel) should stay on for another term. It is the same when he meets other leaders.

“But, having such meetings only shows that Palanivel is trying to shore up support and make pacts before the polls. If Palanivel is strong then these meetings would be unnecessary.

Palanivel, sources claim, has started meeting branch leaders nationwide promising them federal reserve land if he was retained party chief.

“On Sunday, during his visit to the Sabak Bernam division, he promised to get federal reserve land for branch chairmen if elected as party president,” said the source.

A party insider revealed that Dr Subramaniam would announce his intention to go for the party’s top post before Aug 15.

“He has obtained the green light from top BN leadership to challenge Palanivel for the post,” he said.