MIC sues RoS

KUALA LUMPUR: A Central Working Committee (CWC) member of the MIC yesterday filed a judicial review in court, seeking the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and its director-general Mohammad Razin Abdullah, to retract directives sent to the MIC.

Ramalingam who is also the MIC Strategic Director filed the ex-parte application for the court to set aside directives from the RoS to ask the MIC to conduct fresh elections for three vice presidents and 23 CWC positions.

The judicial review was filed at the High Court here through Messrs Selvam Shanmugam & Partners.

In the suit, Ramalingam named the RoS and Mohammad Razin as respondents and sought a review of the RoS’ action through four directives dated December 5, 2014, December 31, 2014, January 6, 2015 and February 6.

Ramalingam claimed the directives sent by the respondent should be deemed mala-fide and ultra vires.

On January 3, MIC president G Palanivel in a surprise move named Ramalingam as the new Strategic Director of MIC replacing Vell Paari.

The MIC internal crisis started following its election of three vice-presidents and 23 central working committee members in 2013 during the Party’s Annual General Meeting.

The election, after allegations of malpractice, was declared null and void by the RoS via a directive on December 5, 2014.

Source : Bernama

Suffering in silence, DCA man wants to talk about MH370

PETALING JAYA: On January 29, the announcement by the Department of Civil Aviation’s (DCA) director general that Malaysia Airlines flight MH370′s disappearance on March 8, 2014, was an “accident” provoked anger among relatives of passengers on board the crashed plane.

While they vented their anger, DCA deputy director with air traffic management, VPR Nathan, was forced to stay silent about his wife, Anne Daisy, who was also on board MH370, due to the nature of his job reported The Malay Mail.

Currently on secondment with the International Civil Aviation Organisation based in China, Nathan, 58, who has been with DCA for 30 years, was devastated when his 56-year-old wife vanished along with the plane while on the way to visit him.

His two daughters, Grace Subathirai, 27, and Azelia Shalini, 22, were also forced to stay in the background following the disappearance of their mother.

But Grace, had continued to support the families of the other 238 victims through her work with support group, Voice 370.

Palanivel to go ahead with suit against RoS

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) President G. Palanivel has instructed lawyers to proceed with a suit against the Registrar of Societies (RoS) “given the current situation” i.e. including a third party, Barisan Nasional (BN) Secretariat, being directed to intervene in the party’s affairs.

The suit also follows the failure of RoS to retract the directives to the party over the disputed 2013 polls and accept the MIC President’s proposals to resolve the woes besetting the party.

The suit is also to determine that the RoS has no powers to act or give directives to the party. The RoS attended a meeting called by the 2009 interim central working committee (CWC) members last Friday.

Palanivel was making his stand in a statement carried by the Star Online.

The decision to allow the BN Secretariat to intervene in the party and “clean it up”, stressed Palanivel, contravenes the MIC constitution and the Societies Act, 1966. “Elections must be conducted under the MIC Constitution and by-laws.”

“Any other course of action, as proposed, will be ‘illegal, null and void’. BN has no jurisdiction to take over the administration of the party or conduct its elections.”

MIC being a BN component party is beside the point, the MIC President implied. “MIC is a political party in its own right, governed by its Constitution, and BN should respect that.”

He was expressing gratitude that the MIC grassroots and leaders would not allow “this grave act of injustice – intervention — to take place”.

He was also expressed his disappointment with his deputy, S. Subramaniam, who conceded at a meeting on Monday with BN Chairman Najib Abdul Razak that the BN Secretariat could intervene in the MIC as directed. Palanivel wasn’t able to attend the meeting because he reportedly had to rush his wife, Kanagam, to hospital. S. Sothinathan, who was asked to represent him, was not allowed into the meeting.

MIC Segamat division chairman A. Nadarajah, echoing the views of MIC Johore leaders, said the BN Secretariat should not have been allowed by the meeting to intervene in the absence of the party’s President.

Negri Sembilan MIC chief A. Ganesan, likewise, criticized the decision as “not good for the MIC”.

Pahang MIC chairman, K. Tamil Selvam, said the Secretariat can act as observers or be a mediator, and not take over anyone’s role.

Malacca MIC chairman M.S. Mahadevan sees the BN Secretariat’s intervention as “more trouble for the party”.

Penang MIC chief M. Karuppanan, in welcoming the involvement of the BN Secretariat and the Prime Minister, said the BN as the parent body can play an advisory role.

Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/02/17/palanivel-to-go-ahead-with-suit-against-ros/

BN secretariat to handle MIC polls

PUTRAJAYA: A high-level meeting today proposed the setting up of a special secretariat by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to help the crisis-plagued MIC to clean up its divisions and branches and hold fresh party elections, said BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

It was proposed that the secretariat be chaired by BN executive secretary Abu Khamis and its members be drawn from non-Indian BN component parties such as MCA and Gerakan, he said.

Tengku Adnan said the proposal was made at a meeting attended by BN chairman Najib Abdul Razak; BN deputy chairman Muhyiddin Yassin; MIC deputy president Dr S. Subramaniam and himself.

He said MIC president G. Palanivel did not attend the meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s Office, but sent a text message to Najib saying that his wife had chest pains.

Palanivel sent MIC vice-president S. Sothinathan to represent him, but the latter was not allowed into the meeting.

“The proposal was accepted by Dr Subramaniam. Palanivel has yet to state his agreement. We hope that the matter can be agreed to by today,” Tengku Adnan told a special news conference here.

He said the BN top leadership wanted to meet with only Palanivel and Dr Subramaniam, and not Sothinathan, to help resolve the MIC crisis.

“After the meeting, I informed Sothinathan, who was waiting outside the meeting room, of the proposal to set up the secretariat. He said the proposal would make the president powerless.”

Tengku Adnan said it was also proposed that the MIC 2009 central working committee (CWC) be taken into account until the fresh elections, and that all the nine president-appointed posts in the 2009 CWC not be considered.

“It was also proposed that during the period of the fresh elections, the president cannot appoint anyone to the nine posts,” he said.

Source– BERNAMA

Palanivel claims deputy blocked rep from PM meet

The spat in MIC has reached new heights, with president G Palanivel accusing his deputy S Subramaniam of sidelining the former’s representative in a meeting with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak this morning.

Palanivel - who could not attend the meeting himself because he was caught up with an emergency concerning his wife - had sent S Sothinathan as his representative to the meeting with the premier to discuss the issue between MIC and the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

Sothinathan (right), however, was blocked from entering the meeting and only notified of the proceedings after it ended.

“Sothinathan was not allowed to be in the meeting, and only the deputy president was met by the prime minister and others present.

“He was only informed of the proposals - but more like decisions - as announced by (Federal Territories Minister) Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor after their meeting with the deputy president,” Palanivel said in a statement today.

He also flayed Subramaniam for allegedly "selling out" to third parties who seek to intervene in MIC matters.

“The deputy president of MIC may be willing to allow third parties (BN) to run MIC and lose our self-dignity and respect, but I will not.

“BN has no jurisdiction whatsoever to take over the administration of the party elections in direct contradiction to the provisions of the MIC constitution, as well as the Societies Act 1966.

“I am still shocked that the deputy president can agree, in my absence, to let others run MIC. It is totally disgusting the extent that one can go to further one’s political agenda,” Palanivel - who is also the natural resources and environment minister - added.

'Palani prolonging crisis'

Meanwhile, Subramaniam in a separate statement, shot back at Palanivel, blaming him for the current crisis that MIC is in.

“Palani's statement questioning my committment to uphold the party’s image and dignity is unwarranted. I would like to remind Palanivel that he is responsible for all the party’s current problems.

“Many of the irregularities of the party election can be directly or indirectly related to him. His inability and refusal to address the issue has led to the current crisis,” the health minister said.

Palanivel’s accusation of Subramaniam (left) allowing third parties to intervene in MIC politics also warranted a further tongue-lashing from the deputy president.

“His decision to take this matter to court is an attempt to prolong the crisis and further destabilise the party.

Subramaniam declares open battle for MIC

KUALA LUMPUR: It’s open warfare for leadership of the troubled Malaysia Indian Congress as deputy president Dr S Subramaniam declared his candidacy for the top post today.

Coming on the heels of an apparent nod in his direction by Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Razak yesterday, his announcement puts embattled party leader G Palanivel under more pressure.

Subramaniam’s announcement, for the first such contest since 1993, comes days head of a meeting that Najib had said he would hold with the MIC leaders.

On Saturday, when the Barisan chairman had been asked if he would meet Palanivel , Najib had reportedly said: “On tomorrow, Monday or Tuesday, with Datuk Subramaniam, one more time” without mentioning Palanivel.

Other reports later said that Palanivel and Subramaniam would both meet Najib, and Palanivel told Bernama in Cameron Highlands today that it would be a closed-door meeting with Subramaniam present.

However, the apparent hint by Najib in mentioning Subramaniam by name, coupled with an announcement by home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last week that the MIC must hold elections at all levels, casts doubts about Palanivel’s standing with the Umno leadership.

The registrar of societies later confirmed Zahid’s announcement.

Tens of thousands bid farewell to Tok Guru

It is a sombre day in Kelantan as thousands flock to Pulau Melaka to pay their last respects to PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who had led the state as menteri besar for 23 years.

People have been makinng a beeline outside his house since last night, resulting in a sudden surge of vehicles in the sleepy hollow of Pulau Melaka.

Authorities have cordoned off the area, thus those visiting his home would have to make a 3km trek on foot.

The authorities have been providing a shuttle service from the Sultan Muhammad IV stadium in Kota Bharu from 7.30am.

LIVE reports follows:

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Reporting and photos by Nigel Aw, Zulaikha Zulkifli and Lim Huey Teng.

11.30am: While Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was spotted in a police car heading from Nik Aziz's house to the burial ground some 500m away, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was spotted leaving the area riding pillion on a motorcycle.

11am: Funeral rites are almost complete and the crowd is slowly dispersing.

10.40am: The casket bearing Nik Aziz remains is seen being carried by his family members along Jalan Long Sulaiman to the burial site nearby.

PAS leaders including Dr Hatta Ramli and Dzulkefly Ahmad are spotted leading the group.

At times the crowd would rush forward to see Nik Aziz's remains, creating a chaotic scene due to the pushing and shoving.

10.32am: The congregation trickling out to the burial ground is asked to make a path for an entourage to pass through.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is seen in one of the police vehicles heading towards the burial grounds.

10.18am: There is little police presence among the 10,000 congregation. Some are seen shaking the policemens' hands to thank them for their service.

10.00am: The sea of well-wishers start moving to the burial ground 600 metres away.

The thousands in white skull caps walking silently to pay their last respects paints a touching picture.

Curious onlookers have climbed onto cars and abandoned houses to catch a glimpse.

9.45am: PKR legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya says PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's family has requested that Anwar be let out of prison today to pay respects to Nik Aziz.