Which is it – fresh polls or withdrawal of judicial review?

It would be wise if the MIC president withdraw the judicial review application since he is geared for party elections.

PUTRAJAYA: MIC president G Palanivel has to decide whether to proceed with fresh polls for the party as scheduled or withdraw the judicial review application filed by him and four other party members, said the party’s deputy president S Subramaniam.

“Since the party president is geared for the party election, it would be a wise move if Palanivel decides to withdraw the judicial review application filed against (the) Registrar of Societies (RoS).

“(Since) Palanivel has the intention to go on with the fresh election, he might as well withdraw the case filed against RoS. That is simple,” he said when asked to comment on Palanivel who is said to be gearing up for the party polls in May.

On March 8, Palanivel pledged to proceed with fresh elections regardless of the outcome of the judicial review against the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

Palanivel, his two vice-presidents, S Sothinathan, S Balakrishnan and a public officer filed a judicial review application at the High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) registry on March 2, naming the RoS and Home Ministry as respondents.

On February 23, MIC strategic director A K Ramalingam, who is also a member of the Central Working Committee (CWC) through his lawyer, S Selvam, filed the first judicial review application against the RoS to quash its directive to MIC to hold fresh elections by July this year.

The two filings come after the RoS on December 5 notified the MIC that the 2013 polls for the vice-president and its CWC seats as well as some divisional elections were null and void due to certain irregularities and ordered fresh polls.

– BERNAMA