BN secretariat proposed for MIC

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has proposed the formation of a Barisan Nasional (BN) secretariat to oversee MIC's administration until its fresh elections, scheduled to begin in April.
This proposal, also agreed upon Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam will comprise external components outside MIC.
"This proposed secretariat from BN will help smoothen the administration of MIC until its fresh elections according to the party's constitution," Tengku Adnan told reporters after the meeting today.
"We also propose to stick with the 23 current central working committee (CWC) members elected in the 2009 election until the fresh polls are done," he said.
"The MIC president is also not allowed to appoint the nine additional members into the CWC during this period, and the nine he has already appointed will therefore not be taken into account," he added.
Tengku Adnan said the proposed secretariat will help clear up all the illegal branches as pointed out by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
"We will then ask the MIC presidential election steering committee that was agreed together with its head Tan Sri K. Kumaran to chair and conduct the elections," he said.
Tengku Adnan told reporters that MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel did not attend today's meeting with the BN top leaders.
"He sent an SMS text message to the prime minister that he had to send his wife to hospital due to chest pain, and had instead sent his representative, MIC secretary-general Datuk S. Sothinathan.
"We did not allow Sothinathan into the meeting, but I met him personally after that to inform him about the proposal to appoint the BN secretariat. He, however, strongly disagreed with the proposal," said Tengku Adnan.
Tengku Adnan urged Palanivel to accept the proposal of appointing a BN secretariat to oversee the day-to-day running of the party in a move to resolve its crisis.
Meanwhile in IPOH, an MIC branch chairman proposed that the party president be elected by members instead of branch chairmen as practised currently.
K. Naccemuthu, of Kampung Acheh in Manjong, said the changes would keep in check issues of illegal branches and unqualified members.
"Only qualified members will be able to vote. There will be no room for any discrepancies," he added.