Samy to quit in January

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president S Samy Vellu said he would relinquish his post next January and pave the way for his deputy G Palanivel to take over."Today, I am officially announcing my decision to step down and pass the leadership to my deputy in January next year," he said.Samy Vellu was speaking to reporters after chairing the MIC Central Working Committee meeting at the party headquarters here.The 74-year-old politician, who had helmed the party for three decades, said that he had announced his decision to the CWC earlier.

Previously, speculation was rife that Samy Vellu had come under pressure from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to step down.However, Samy Vellu was re-elected as president unopposed and his line-up also triumphed at the party polls despite Najib having signalled the need for change in his opening speech at the MIC AGM.Observers had attributed this to the veteran's cult-like status in the party, which was unshakeable by external forces.In the 2008 general election, Samy Vellu and MIC were dealt a devastating blow, which saw all its top office bearers, including the president, losing their seats.Since then, the president had focused his efforts on rebuilding and re-branding the party."I will announce the specific date later," he said.

He added that his resignation could take place before or after he attended the ninth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi where he would be discussing opportunities for Malaysian contractors to be involved in the building of infrastructure in India.

Palanivel: No comment for now

Palanivel was also present during the press conference, seated next to the outgoing chief, but declined to comment. He said he will respond to this development at a later date. In May this year, during the Federal Territory MIC convention, Samy Vellu had said that he would step down "seven to eight months" before his term ends in March 2012. Samy Vellu, who won unopposed as party president in September last year for the record 11th term, said his resignation before completion of his term would give the new leader a chance to take over the presidency and give him ample time to prepare for the next general election.

"If I wait for another two years, I don't think it's good, because we want to have the new leader for the election who will have his own policies and his own word of order and I think it will be better in order to prepare for the election," he said. Samy Vellu, who lost in the 2008 general election, said he would leave the party completely afterwards and would not disturb the new leadership.

Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/barisan-nasional/10890-samy-to-quit-in-january