Kuala Lumpur – MIC Youth leader and member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands Datuk Sivarrajh Chandran (pic) has defended newly elected MIC President Tan Sri S.A.Vickneswaran for continuing as the President of Dewan Negara. In a press statement released today Sivarrajh argued that in fact a Barisan Nasional component party leader holding the post Dewan Negara President would auger well for the new political scenario that is emerging in new Malaysia:
The following is the full text of his press statement:
“MIC Youth wishes to remind DAP’s Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng that nothing in the constitution hinders MIC’s new president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran from retaining his office as the Dewan Negara president.
Lim had earlier today asked Vigneswaran to resign as MIC president if he wanted to remain as the Senate president, or relinquish his senate position so that Pakatan Harapan can appoint someone of their choice to the position.
Vigneswaran was appointed as the Senate present in 2016 and his term is still valid as of now. As such, it is unreasonable and desperate for Lim to ask Vigneswaran to relinquish either one of his posts.
He was elected as the MIC president from a democratic process in the party. Relinquishing that position would be disrespectful to MIC members who had backed him to become the party leader. Similarly, asking him to relinquish his post as Senate president, which was elected by Senate members, is disrespectful to the August House.
There is no requirement for a speaker to be apolitical, and it must be stressed that the current Dewan Rakyat speaker Datuk Ariff Yusof is still an active member of Parti Amanah, a component of Pakatan Harapan.
The post of speakers has always been traditionally held by politicians, so why the sudden double standards in asking for Vigneswaran’s resignation? Would Lim also be calling for the resignation of state assembly speakers who are politically affiliated in Pakatan Harapan controlled states?
It would serve Lim well to remember that his own party secretary general Lim Guan Eng is still not cleared of a corruption charge against him, and was made Finance Minister despite that fact, which was contradictory to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s promise earlier. Perhaps Pakatan Harapan should make sure that it’s own house is clean of any partiality before trying to demanding impartiality from members of other political parties.
Lim should not attempt to use a “backdoor way” to get Pakatan Harapan’s choice of candidate to be the Senate president. In fact, having a member of an opposition party as the Senate president can only further enhance the democracy and political diversity in this “new Malaysia” that Pakatan Harapan propagates.
As such, they should be able to rise above political differences and judge key position holders based on merit and not petty politicking alone.”
