Samy Vellu slams Palanivel over RoS issue
KUALA LUMPUR: Former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu today took a swipe at his successor Datuk Seri G. Palanivel for not giving importance to resolving party issues and putting it at risk of being de-registered.
Samy Vellu, who held the position for 22 years before he relinquished it and handed the reins to Palanivel, said: "I have a bad feeling, a party that we took care of for years, may just (vanish). The present situation in the committee is saddening me. I feel nobody cares about the party and the current leaders only care about their positions in the party."
Speaking to reporters after opening the Nepal Investment Summit at Pullman Hotel, Samy Vellu said Palanivel should call the top leaders, including the central working committee (CWC) members, to sit together to discuss the issue and come to a collective decision as to how to resolve it amicably.
On Dec 5, the Registrar of Societies (RoS) had nullified the elections for the party's three vice-president and 23 CWC posts, held during its general assembly in November 2013.
The registrar had then ordered fresh elections within 90 days.
Since then, there has been noticeable problems arising with MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam coming out openly to state that he is not able to meet the president to discuss the issue despite making several attempts to do so.
With the RoS deadline drawing near, Subramaniam held a meeting last Saturday where it was decided that a special committee be formed to resolve problems linked to the RoS directive.
It was also decided during the meeting that the temporary transitional CWC (2009-2013) would continue to manage the party as the current CWC had been deemed invalid by the registrar.
On Monday, Palanivel said he was contemplating taking stern action against those responsible for convening the meeting on Jan 24 as it was illegal and done against the provisions of the party constitution.
On this, Samy Vellu said Palanivel should respect the people around him.
"I don't think Palanivel understands what he is doing at the moment. When I was the president, there were people who hated me for some reason but I still communicated with them and tried my level best to listen to them," he said, adding that showing kindness to people and getting them to talk is also part of politics.
On MIC secretary-general Datuk G. Kumar Aamaan going on a hunger strike, Samy Vellu said: "He brought shame to MIC, that is all."
On Jan 22, Kumar started a hunger strike at the RoS headquarters at the Chancery Building to protest against the RoS directive.
Kumar said he would hold the strike "until the last breath" or until the RoS director-general and officers in charge of the MIC re-election investigation are removed from office.
Samy Vellu also said he will not intervene in party matters and has no intention to go back to politics and thus urged those in the party to resolve the issue.