MIC Youth results suspended

The MIC leadership has suspended results of the MIC Youth polls held on Nov 16 pending investigations.

PETALING JAYA: The MIC leadership has suspended the party’s Youth wing’s election results pending investigations into alleged irregularities in the polls.

Party secretary general A Sakthivel in announcing this, said a Youth member had lodged a complaint on the running of the Youth elections and the party had decided to investigate the matter.

“During this period, the Youth wing election results would be suspended,” he told FMT when contacted.

The MIC secretary general had earlier held a press conference to announce the suspension. Only Tamil vernacular dailies were invited to attend the press conference.

Speaking to FMT, Sakthivel said the Youth wing election results would remain suspended until a probe on it was completed.

“We do not have a time frame for the suspension. We will decide on the next course of action only after we complete the investigations,” he added.

The suspension is because there were claims that seven people who were bankrupt were allowed to vote in the Youth polls. There is also allegation that a ballot belonging to a delegate, who was overseas during the election, was in fact cast by someone else.

Following suspension of the Youth wing election results, some 38 Youth delegates will not be able to cast their ballots to pick three vice-presidents and 23 central working committee members at the party annual general assembly on Nov 30.

Former Youth secretary C Sivarraajh won the wing’s top post at the election, defeating deputy chief V Mugilan by 44 votes.

Sivarraajh obtained 278 votes to Mugilan’s 234 to take over from out going Youth chief T Mohan who is contesting for vice-president this time.

The deputy’s post was won by MIC youth legal bureau head R Thinalan who garnered 321 votes, beating Malacca MIC youth deputy chief K Sashi who obtained 188 votes.

It must be noted that Mugilan was favoured by party president G Palanivel while Sivarraajh was backed by Mohan.

Ulterior motive

Party sources claimed that the MIC leadership headed by Palanivel has an ulterior motive in suspending the Youth polls.

“He does not want the Youth’s 38-votes at the assembly as he knows the youth wing will not vote candidates favoured by him (Palanivel). They will follow what Mohan says…so what a better way to get rid of them for now.

“After the election this weekend, they will either reinstate the Youth wing results or call for new polls.

“Either way the 38 Youth leaders chosen at the Youth elections will miss out in picking the vice-presidents and the central working committee members,” said a national leader who declined to be named.

Another party leader when contacted was equally miffed with the latest ruling on the Youth wing election.

“Who did Palanivel consult before making this decision? The central working committee was not called. The MIC management committee was not consulted…so who made this decision?

“Furthermore, if bankruptcy is a problem, then what about those who nominated Palanivel for president. Their nominations should also be null and void and if that is the case, there is a need for Palanivel to hold the presidential nominations again.

“How many of those who nominated Palanivel are bankrupts? Are we going to suspend them as well? To stop all this once and for all, the party should postpone its polls on Nov 30 until this matter is sorted out,” he said.

Palanivel was elected unopposed at the MIC presidential election nominations in August this year