On eve of party polls, MIC leader cries foul

With a day left before the MIC election takes place, a party leader from Cheras claims that the leadership has yet to act on his complaint filed with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
                    
The complaint claimed that branch elections last July were conducted in an improper manner.

Letters made available to Malaysiakini also showed that ROS had asked MIC to act on the issue after investigating the complaint.

However, the complainant, Cheras MIC deputy chairperson K Palanisamy, said the party has yet to act and wanted the matter resolved before the polls commence tomorrow afternoon.

In his Nov 7 complaint to ROS, Palanisamy said on July 21 this year, 14 MIC branches in Cheras held a divisional meeting to elect branch representatives without satisfying the quorum.

The complaint also expressed concern that if the issue is not investigated into, it may influence the party's Annual General Assembly (AGM) this weekend.

ROS, after two weeks of investigation, sent a letter to MIC secretary-general A Sakthivell on Nov 21 urging the party to take immediate action over the complaint.
                
"As agreed, ROS will extend issues pertaining to the party and we hope MIC will take the necessary action," ROS deputy secretary general Alias Mamat wrote.

"ROS hopes that the necessary action can be taken by your side so that the general assembly does not have any problems," the letter added.

Palanisamy said that despite his and ROS' urging, the party has yet to take any action.

"It is better to take action before elections are conducted rather than after. Otherwise, this may impact the elections," he toldMalaysiakini.

Palanisamy said that he is still harbouring hope that MIC will act on this matter as late as tomorrow morning, just before the election to select a new batch of vice-presidents and other leaders.