Love MIC, not individuals, appointees told

A defeated veep candidate calls for “honesty and sincerity” in deciding whether a re-election is warranted

PETALING JAYA: Former MIC youth chief SA Vigneswaran today appealed to the party’s appointed leaders to be guided by their loyalty to the party instead of to any individual in deciding whether a re-election should be called following allegations of rigging in the Nov 30 polls.

“The MIC is actually at a crossroads,” he said. “We either make a decision to please certain individuals in the party or take party interest at heart and make an honest and sincere decision, taking the party’s future into consideration.”

Vigneswaran did not name the “certain individuals”.

His appeal was directed at the party’s secretary general, treasurer general and information chief as well as seven of the 30 Central Working Committee (CWC) members. All ten got to their positions by appointment instead of election.

“I call on them to have party interest at heart,” he said in an interview with FMT.

“Decide with the party in mind. Be clean and transparent in making a decision because whatever you decide will affect the party.”

He said the polls fiasco had dented the party’s image and the only way for MIC to repair the damage was to decide fairly if a re-election was warranted.

“The CWC needs to be fair. I have received calls for members and leaders alike wanting to know what is happening in the party. And as a leader I have told everyone to be calm and wait for the CWC decision.”

He said the Indian community was watching developments in the party and any adverse decision could decrease support for MIC.

The Nov 30 polls, held to pick three vice presidents and 23 CWC members, were marred by allegations of vote misappropriation and other forms of fraud.

Eight candidates fought it out for the vice presidential posts and 88 for the CWC seats. Vigneswaran came in fifth in the veep race.

Last week, former secretary general A Sakthivel defended the election results, saying only six appeals were filed and that the allegations of rigging were “a small matter”.  However, he added that the party’s Election Steering Committee would investigate all appeals.

After a lull of two weeks since the polls, party president G Palanivel two days ago released a press statement announcing the appointment of Prakash Rao Applanaidoo as secretary general, KR Ramanan as treasurer-general and L Sivasubramaniam as information chief.

He also announced the appointment of K Kumaran, KS Nijhar, K S Balakrishnan, Senator V Subramaniam, Tenggaroh state assemblyman K Ravenkumar, Raub division chief K Tamil Selvam and Teluk Kemang division chief R Balakrishnan to the CWC.

The appointment of the seven CWC members has drawn criticism from some party members, including several in leadership positions, because most of them were past the age of 60.

Palanivel also said he would soon appoint office bearers in the party’s youth and women’s wings.

Vigneswaran called on the party leadership to allow the elected Youth and Wanita leaders to decide on their own line-up, “like in other Barisan Nasional component parties”.

“Although it is the prerogative of the president to appoint some leaders to Youth and Wanita positions,” he said, “I think the time is ripe for the respective wings to take charge of their movements.

“There is no point for an elected Youth or Wanita leader to be treated like an appointed individual. They should have the power to pick leaders they want in their movement. It also helps them work as a team.