Sothinathan says RoS letter manipulated to confuse public

The MIC secretary- general notes such a letter is an SOP of any government department but irresponsible parties chose to interpret it irresponsibly

PUTRAJAYA: The Registrar of Societies (RoS) letter stating that G.Palanivel is no longer a party member was manipulated by politicians to confuse and hoodwink party members and the public, said MIC secretary-general S.Sothinathan.

He said such a letter was a general standard operating procedure of any government department to send a letter of notification but it had been “spinned” by certain factions for their own personal and political agendas.

He noted that RoS had not made any determination on the application of Article 91 of the MIC Constitution as they (RoS) knew that they have no such jurisdiction to interpret the party constitution.

“Only the MIC president and Central Working Committee (CWC) members have the powers to interpret the party constitution and not the RoS,” he told reporters after meeting RoS officials here today.

On the 45-minute meeting, Sothinathan said that the RoS told him that it would officially put on record the contents of the resolutions passed at the CWC 2009 emergency meeting yesterday.

He also said that the officials told him that they would officially note that Dr S.Subramaniam and 14 others (MIC leaders) were suspended from the party, which was decided on June 16 by Palanivel.

Yesterday, Dr Subramaniam claimed that the RoS had in a letter addressed to the party’s Interim Central Working Committee (CWC) 2009 declared that Palanivel was no longer a member following Article 91 of the MIC Constitution

The RoS had also recognised that he (Dr S. Subramaniam) will function in the capacity of acting president to lead the CWC 2009 to conduct the party’s re-elections as per the RoS decision, Dr Subramaniam added.

However, Palanivel has refuted this, saying Dr Subramaniam was wrong to have misled people in saying the RoS had confirmed his removal based on Article 91 of the MIC Constitution.

The article states any member bringing party matters to court without the CWC’s endorsement lose their membership status ipso facto (automatically).

- BERNAMA