Najib to summon MIC chief to explain blame game

Datuk Seri Najib Razak says he will meet with Datuk Seri G. Palanivel (left) after the MIC chief blamed him for the party's ongoing crisis. – The Malaysian Insider filepic, June 21, 2015.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak will seek an explanation from Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, after the embattled MIC president blamed the prime minister for MIC's crisis.

Posting on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts, Najib, in a brief update also told the natural resources and environment minister to stop heaping blame on others for the troubles in Barisan Nasional's largest Indian-ethnic party.

"I'll summon @GPalanivel to explain his reported comments at PWTC. He shd stop blaming others & must abide by the decision of the courts &RoS," Najib wrote on his Twitter account which also tagged Palanivel.

Najib's posting was retweeted by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein with the added comment, "I agree".

At a rally to declare support for him at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday, Palanivel said Najib sided with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and put pressure on MIC to reject the party elections held in 2013.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak takes to Twitter to respond to the MIC chief.

"Barisan Nasional and the PM himself got involved in putting pressure on MIC to reject the results of our validated 2013 elections and for the party to take sides with our detractors," he had said during his speech to the cheers of thousands who had come to show their support for him.

"This is the greatest challenge MIC has faced in its 70 years of history. The issue is simple and clear.

“This is a battle between right and wrong. Between justice and unlawfulness. Between order and chaos. Between good and evil."

The MIC saga erupted following differences in opinion between Palanivel and his deputy Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam after RoS issued a notice last December 5 directing the party to hold fresh polls for the three vice-presidential and 23 central working committee posts.

RoS had nullified the elections held in November 2013 following complaints of irregularities and ordered fresh polls to be held.

Palanivel took his case to the High Court but last Monday his two judicial review applications to quash the RoS directive to hold new elections were dismissed.

The court upheld the registrar’s decision for the party to hold re-elections at all levels (branches and divisions), including the president’s post.

The crisis also saw both Palanivel and his deputy Datuk S. Subramaniam claiming to be the party chief.