By S. Kisho Kumari
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- The MIC's image took yet another beating this week following the turn of events after the High Court on Monday rejected two judicial review applications to annul the Registrar of Societies' (RoS) directive to the MIC to hold re-elections.
The applications were filed by MIC President Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and four others.
Datuk Seri S.K. Devamany, a member of the RoS-recognised interim 2009-2013 Central Working Committee (CWC), said with the court ruling, it was time for the MIC to conduct re-elections and move forward.
"We've been caught in the doldrums for far too long. People are questioning the relevance of this party and they think we're only interested in holding onto power, rather than worry about this 70-year-old party's representation of the Indian community in Malaysia," he said.
He told Bernama the court decision reconfirmed the validity of the interim 2009-2013 CWC, in which the RoS has vested the responsibility to conduct re-elections to decide the future destiny of the party.
Stressing that the party could only get its house in order after the fresh elections, Devamany said there was a dire need for the MIC to work towards reinstating its dignity and earning the respect of the people.
"All that turmoil in the party has been confusing the people and we are feeling embarrassed too. But we're trying our best to get things moving as per the RoS directive," he said.
NO POWER
On Tuesday, Palanivel suspended his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and 14 others for a year with immediate effect for defying his orders not to hold the party's interim 2009-2013 CWC meeting.
Subramaniam had convened the meeting on Monday following the High Court's decision to reject the two judicial review applications.
Subramaniam has claimed that Palanivel has no power to suspend him and the 14 others, namely MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan, Wanita chief Mohana Muniandy and CWC members Devamany, N. Rawisandran, Datuk R. Ganesan, Datuk M. Davendran, Datuk K.R.A. Naidu, Datuk V.M. Panjamothy, P. Manivasagam, S. Ananthan, M. Mathuraiveran, Datuk M. Asojan, P. Shanmugan and K.R. Parthiban.
On Tuesday, Subramaniam chaired another interim CWC meeting at the MIC headquarters although their party membership had been suspended.
The MIC crisis erupted following differences in opinion between Palanivel and his deputy after the RoS issued a notice last Dec 5 directing the party to hold fresh elections for the three vice-presidential and 23 CWC posts.
The RoS had nullified the elections held in November 2013 following complaints of irregularities.
NEGATIVE IMPACT FROM COMMOTION
Meanwhile, Assoc Prof Dr Sarjit Singh Gill, who is a senior lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia's Department of Social Sciences and Development, said all that commotion in the MIC was having a negative impact on the Indian community and warned that the opposition could capitalise on it to gain political mileage.
"I'm looking at the impact from the political to the socio-economic aspects...it's the community who will be at the losing end at the end of the day. They have placed their trust in MIC but look at what is happening to the party now," he told Bernama.
He said the community has enough socio-economic woes to contend with and seriously required sincere leaders who could look into their plight and help them.
Sarjit said since the High Court had already passed judgement on the matter, the two top MIC leaders should meet and discuss the next course of action.
"But this is not happening. The leaders are not trying to settle the issues, in fact they're creating more problems...very undemocratic," he added.
Assoc Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Social Sciences, said the party's top two leaders - instead of claiming ownership of the top party post - should mobilise the party's resources and focus on resolving the various outstanding issues.
The political analyst said the party's failure in finding remedies to settle the crisis showed that it was more interested in stoking up its internal conflict than to move forward.
He added that he would not be surprised if most Indian voters abandoned the MIC and voted for the opposition at the next general election.
Barisan Nasional Secretary-General Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had said on Wednesday that the coalition would not intervene in the worsening MIC leadership crisis.
Although he expressed his concern over the current developments, he believed that the party could sort out its problems internally.
-- BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) -- The MIC's image took yet another beating this week following the turn of events after the High Court on Monday rejected two judicial review applications to annul the Registrar of Societies' (RoS) directive to the MIC to hold re-elections.
The applications were filed by MIC President Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and four others.
Datuk Seri S.K. Devamany, a member of the RoS-recognised interim 2009-2013 Central Working Committee (CWC), said with the court ruling, it was time for the MIC to conduct re-elections and move forward.
"We've been caught in the doldrums for far too long. People are questioning the relevance of this party and they think we're only interested in holding onto power, rather than worry about this 70-year-old party's representation of the Indian community in Malaysia," he said.
He told Bernama the court decision reconfirmed the validity of the interim 2009-2013 CWC, in which the RoS has vested the responsibility to conduct re-elections to decide the future destiny of the party.
Stressing that the party could only get its house in order after the fresh elections, Devamany said there was a dire need for the MIC to work towards reinstating its dignity and earning the respect of the people.
"All that turmoil in the party has been confusing the people and we are feeling embarrassed too. But we're trying our best to get things moving as per the RoS directive," he said.
NO POWER
On Tuesday, Palanivel suspended his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and 14 others for a year with immediate effect for defying his orders not to hold the party's interim 2009-2013 CWC meeting.
Subramaniam had convened the meeting on Monday following the High Court's decision to reject the two judicial review applications.
Subramaniam has claimed that Palanivel has no power to suspend him and the 14 others, namely MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan, Wanita chief Mohana Muniandy and CWC members Devamany, N. Rawisandran, Datuk R. Ganesan, Datuk M. Davendran, Datuk K.R.A. Naidu, Datuk V.M. Panjamothy, P. Manivasagam, S. Ananthan, M. Mathuraiveran, Datuk M. Asojan, P. Shanmugan and K.R. Parthiban.
On Tuesday, Subramaniam chaired another interim CWC meeting at the MIC headquarters although their party membership had been suspended.
The MIC crisis erupted following differences in opinion between Palanivel and his deputy after the RoS issued a notice last Dec 5 directing the party to hold fresh elections for the three vice-presidential and 23 CWC posts.
The RoS had nullified the elections held in November 2013 following complaints of irregularities.
NEGATIVE IMPACT FROM COMMOTION
Meanwhile, Assoc Prof Dr Sarjit Singh Gill, who is a senior lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia's Department of Social Sciences and Development, said all that commotion in the MIC was having a negative impact on the Indian community and warned that the opposition could capitalise on it to gain political mileage.
"I'm looking at the impact from the political to the socio-economic aspects...it's the community who will be at the losing end at the end of the day. They have placed their trust in MIC but look at what is happening to the party now," he told Bernama.
He said the community has enough socio-economic woes to contend with and seriously required sincere leaders who could look into their plight and help them.
Sarjit said since the High Court had already passed judgement on the matter, the two top MIC leaders should meet and discuss the next course of action.
"But this is not happening. The leaders are not trying to settle the issues, in fact they're creating more problems...very undemocratic," he added.
Assoc Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Social Sciences, said the party's top two leaders - instead of claiming ownership of the top party post - should mobilise the party's resources and focus on resolving the various outstanding issues.
The political analyst said the party's failure in finding remedies to settle the crisis showed that it was more interested in stoking up its internal conflict than to move forward.
He added that he would not be surprised if most Indian voters abandoned the MIC and voted for the opposition at the next general election.
Barisan Nasional Secretary-General Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had said on Wednesday that the coalition would not intervene in the worsening MIC leadership crisis.
Although he expressed his concern over the current developments, he believed that the party could sort out its problems internally.
-- BERNAMA
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