PETALING JAYA, MAY 23- MIC leaders shared mixed views over a news report yesterday which revealed a brewing power struggle within the party.
Rather than consolidating and re-inventing itself, the report in The Malay Mail said that party president Datuk G. Palanivel was more focused on retaining his position and had called on the divisions to pass a “no contest” resolution for the presidency.
MIC information chief Datuk V. S. Mogan said he felt a no contest would be more advantageous considering the party’s poor performance during the last general election and its weakened state.
“To help strengthen the party, it’s better if the post is not contested. Instead, MIC should focus its efforts on rebuilding the party,” he said.
Party strategic director S. Vell Paari was of the opinion that all posts should be up for contest.
“It is the democratic right of people to contest any post they want,” he said.
He said party elections were generally a healthy practice and should be exercised.
”If the central working committee members want an election, then there should not be any reason not to have one,” he said.
Former vice-president and party veteran Datuk S. Veerasingam agreed with Vell Paari.
He said that although MIC was a democratic party and that people had a right to their opinions, the party members also had the right to contest any post they wanted as it was provided for under the party’s constitution.
“As far as I’m concerned,if anybody wants to contest for any position, we have no right to stop them,” he said.
Another former vice-president, Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan, who later joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat, was of the opinion that the party should be overhauled “MIC needs to stand on its own feet, not be controlled by other parties.
I don’t think many Indians voted MIC in the last election and instead chose to vote PKR because they want to see change,” he said.
A party veteran, who preferred not to be named, said this was a no-win situation for the party.
”Of course, divisions which are aligned to Palanivel will pass the no-contest resolution, while those that are not, may resist,” he said.
“Many of the division leaders are waiting to see who former president, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu will back for the presidency.”
-THE MALAY MAIL
