Kamalanathan: Set date for MIC elections soon

SUBANG JAYA: Deputy Minister of Education II, P. Kamalanathan today stressed that MIC must set a date soon for its internal polls.
Speaking to theSun after launching the 10th World Kidney Foundation anniversary here, he said there was nothing wrong for the party's president to travel around the country to meet divisional members.
"I don't think it's wrong for Datuk Seri G. Palanivel to go around the country to explain (MIC's situation) but the priority is to set a date for the election," the Hulu Selangor MP said.
He added that since the Registrar of Societies (RoS) have given notice and indication to MIC to resolve the issue, including a meeting conducted within the Barisan Nasional (BN) committee recently between Palanivel and Datuk Seri Dr Subramaniam, "it's only gentlemanly for the agreement to be fulfilled. For me, set the dates for the election and appoint the members to run it."
When asked if another component BN party can step in should MIC fails to set a polling date soon, he said:"Cannot...it needs a consensus (within BN). It's too premature to speak about it. I hope it doesn't go to that level."
He reiterated MIC's relevancy within BN as a pioneer component party.
"If the president can just follow the instruction that has been agreed by him, I believe MIC will find a solution soon," he said.
He was responding to MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan's request to Palanivel to stop the "tug-of-war" which has created a rift in MIC.
Earlier, during the launch here, Kamalanathan urged the youth practice healthy lifestyle to avoid chronic kidney diseases.
Present also was National Kidney Foundation chairman Datuk Dr Zaki Morad Mohd Zaher.
Zaki said it has been found through studies that youths have been detected with type two diabetes.
Although common among Malaysians, he stressed for youths to take health screening tests and practice a healthier lifestyle.