‘Take action against Nijhar’

A Kedah MIC state exco wants party president G Palanivel to haul up his disciplinary committee chairman for questioning the leadership's decisions.

PETALING JAYA: MIC president G Palanivel must haul up party veteran KS Nijhar for criticising Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and the MIC leadership, said a Kedah MIC youth exco member.

K Somasundram lodged a report against Nijhar with the party headquarters for questioning the deal brokered by Najib to prevent a contest between Palanivel and his deputy, Dr S Subramaniam.

Somasundram said Nijhar had, in an online report on Sept 5 titled ‘Palani-Subra deal a mockery to MIC democracy!’, challenged Palanivel to reveal details of what transpired at the meeting with Najib.

Nijhar, who is also MIC disciplinary committee chairman said that Palanivel and Subra could not make a deal on behalf of MIC without discussing the matter first with the CWC.

“If they go ahead with whatever they had agreed in front of the PM without the CWC having a say, it will be an insult to the CWC and the MIC members,” Nijhar was quoted in The Malaysian Times.

Somasundram claimed Nijhar was out to divide the party into two camps with his statements.

“I believed, by raising questions over the deal, Nijhar is also taking Najib Tun Razak who is the BN chairman to task as well,” he said. “Nijhar must be sacked from the party immediately.”

‘Nijhar a liability’
Palanivel, who is also the Natural Resource and Environmental minister, took over the MIC presidency from S Samy Vellu on Dec 5, 2010.

He was elected to another term unopposed in the presidential nominations held on Sept 1, after the Prime Minister stepped in to broker a deal between the top two leaders.

The majority of party members welcomed the no contest decision, claiming the deal brokered by Najib was good for party to re-structure itself and attract the Indian community back to MIC and BN.

Somasundram also wants the leadership to investigate an allegation that Nijhar had written letters to Umno leaders prior to the 13th GE, lobbying for a seat to be given to youth leader R Ramanan.

“If it emerges that he had indeed written such a letter, then it is clear that Nijhar challenged the MIC president and his veto powers,” he said. “It’s the president’s prerogative to pick candidates for the GE.”

He also alleged that as party disciplinary committee chairman, Nijhar had frequently made biased decisions.

He cited an example early this year, when no action was taken against PJ Selatan division chairman, V Subramaniam, despite the CWC recommending that a show cause letter be issued to Subramaniam.

Subramaniam, better known as ‘Barat’ Maniam, came under fire last year for criticising party vice president M Saravanan through media. Barat Maniam is said to be a close ally of Nijhar.

Somasundram insisted that Nijhar is a liability to party and that the top leadership must axe him from party.