MIC ‘amnesty’ dispute: Next stop-ROS

Unhappy with the decision to readmit several sacked members, a MIC member is planning to take the matter to the ROS.

PETALING JAYA: The controversy surrounding the readmission of sacked MIC members is expected to take another twist tomorrow.

According to a party source, a complaint would be lodged with the Registrar of Societies (ROS), seeking the statutory body’s intervention into the matter.

However, the source refused to divulge the name of the complainant.

The source told FMT that the decision by the all-powerful central working committee ran foul of the party’s constitution.

“Is the CWC above the constitution and empowered to make decisions according to its whims and fancies?”

“The CWC also postponed the party’s presidential election. This too is against the constitution. So what would stop the CWC from ruling out elections altogether in the future?” he asked.

The source, who holds a senior position in MIC, pointed out that while similar situations transpired in other parties, the difference was that such decisions were made in accordance with their respective constitutions.

“In Umno, sacked leaders were also brought back, but they returned as ordinary members and were not reinstated to their old positions. In MIC, it’s a different story,” he said.

Last week, the CWC, after a heated debate, resolved to offer “amnesty” to nine former members.

Among them were former deputy Youth leader V Mugilan, ex-CWC members KP Samy and G Kumar Amman, and former Petaling Jaya Selatan division chief V Subramaniam.

The four, sacked by former president S Samy Vellu last year, were the main force behind the now-defunct Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu or GAS.

While some leaders opposed their readmission, Samy Vellu’s son and CWC member S Vell Paari, defended it, saying that both he and his father had buried the hatchet for the sake of party unity.

Under pressure from Najib?

The source claimed that MIC president G Palanivel was under pressure from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to re-unite the different factions.

“Najib wants a united MIC to face the next general election and so the party decided to offer an olive branch to the nine,” he said.

Commenting on this, a senior MIC leader, who declined to be named, said it was not right for the party to bow to external pressure.

“Najib is not the president of MIC,” he stressed.

He also accused a veteran party leader, who once held the position of vice-president, of calling the shots in MIC now and having a grip over the president.

Meanwhile, the source said the nine’s readmission and reinstatement to previous positions contravened Articles 15.4 and 16.5 of the party constitution.

“Article 15.4 clearly states that a sacked member could only be readmitted if he appealed to the CWC and if his appeal is accepted.

“Whereas Article 16.5 states that a sacked member could only file an appeal to be readmitted two years from the date of his sacking,” he said. “So it’s clear-cut. What happened is unconstitutional.”

Commenting on the issue, a political observer said if a stand-off ensued between the ROS and MIC over this issue, the Barisan Nasional component party could, in the worst case scenario, risk being de-registered.

“It would be interesting to see how this issue pans out,” he told FMT.