May 20, 2010
Palanivel (right) said delegates expect the deputy to succeed the president. — file pic
KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 — MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel has indirectly said he was “ready” to succeed embattled party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, quashing rumours of strained ties between the two.
He told The Malaysian Insider that Samy Vellu, who has held on to the presidency for over three decades, had already shared with him his intention to quit the post a few months before his term expires.
“He had also explained to me his reason for not quitting immediately. I have heard his explanation,” Palanivel told The Malaysian Insider in an SMS.
He added that he was confident that Samy Vellu would leave “when the time is right”.
Palanivel, who sounded jovial when contacted for comment over the troubles in MIC, later indirectly hinted at his readiness to take over the reins from Samy Vellu once the latter retires.
“On the question of whether I am ready... when the delegates vote in a deputy president, they expect him to step into the shoes of the president should the opportunity arise,” he said.
Samy Vellu had announced on Tuesday that he would quit from his post about “eight or nine months” before his term expires in May 2012.
Despite agreeing to an early resignation, the outspoken president’s announcement had only earned him further wrath from his detractors, who wanted him out immediately.
Many in the leadership as well as in the higher echelons of Barisan Nasional and Umno have indicated their preference for Samy Vellu, who was also the longest serving Cabinet member, to leave as early as the coming MIC annual general meeting on July 10.
MIC Youth chief V. Mugilan had jumped on the anti-Samy Vellu bandwagon, and urged the leader to step down immediately instead of only doing so next year.
“If possible I want him to resign today. However if he needs time, then perhaps until the end of this year, but no longer than that,” Mugilan told a press conference yesterday.
Samy Vellu was quick to chastise the youth leader for his bold statement, however, and said the party would be hauling the latter up to face its disciplinary board for acting against party interests during the Hulu Selangor by-election.
Mugilan had initially been touted as Umno’s preferred candidate to Palanivel in the by-election, although neither eventually got the nod.
Samy Vellu also said he would stick to his timeline as he wanted to revamp and “rearrange” the party before leaving.
Questions have also been raised over Samy Vellu’s likely successor as the veteran politician had chosen to keep mum on the matter during his announcement on Tuesday.
While some believe the transition would naturally move from Samy Vellu to Palanivel, others claim that this may not be the case.
Palanivel’s statement, however, leads to speculation of his confidence to be the heir to the MIC throne.
He faces three others presidential hopefuls — vice president Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, said to be the BN’s preference; former vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan; and former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam.
Palanivel, known to be a close ally to Samy Vellu, had been unceremoniously rejected as a candidate to contest in the Hulu Selangor by-election despite having been an MP in the constituency for four terms.
He was replaced by a compromise candidate P. Kamalanathan and was subsequently given a Senatorship after the polls concluded.
Source from :http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/
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