PETALING JAYA: An MIC leader has challenged party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel to call for an emergency general meeting (EGM) to iron out issues surrounding the MIC polls.
Party strategic director Datuk Seri S. Vell Paari (pic) said Palanivel had to call for an EGM to enable both sides to present their arguments over irregularities of the party’s general assembly in Malacca last year.
“I am willing to state my case as to why there should be fresh elections, so let us call for an EGM.
“I will show proof why the election was not fair. He (Palanivel) can also justify why he thinks there were no irregularities during the polls.
“If the members agree with him (Palanivel), then I will resign from the party,” said Vell Paari said yesterday.
He claimed that there were allegations such as vote tampering, allowing a non-delegate to vote, illegal branches and cases of membership fees being paid by the headquarters.
Vell Paari said Palanivel had to accept the “moral responsibility” and do the right thing for the betterment of the 68-year-old party.
He said it was not right for Palanivel to label protesters, who demanded for his resignation as troublemakers.
“If MIC members who turn up to save the party and protect the democracy are labelled as gangsters, what do you label someone who protects criminals?
“Those who gathered last Thursday were not there to destroy the party but to save it from being de-registered, they came to safeguard democracy and to seek a free and fair election,” said Vell Paari.
In an interview with The Star recently, Palanivel said he had the support of the majority of state and division leaders.
He said most of the members who turned up on Thursday were there to support him.
Palanivel said only a small group had created the chaos.
Vell Paari and former youth leader Datuk T. Mohan led the protest against Palanivel.
Vell Paari said those who lodged a complaint with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) felt cheated by the election results in 2013.
“They requested to meet Palanivel to seek a resolution on how to move forward but he denied seeing them.
“In a true democracy, people must have right to speak.
“They must not be robbed of their choice – and most importantly – for a transparent, free and fair election,” he added.
Vell Paari said he had made many attempts to advise and discuss the matter with Palanivel but his suggestions fell on deaf ears.
He said he would lodge a police report on the alleged fraud during the polls.
The RoS had on Dec 5 nullified the elections for the three vice-presidents and 23 Central Working Committee (CWC) posts held during the MIC general assembly.
It recommended that MIC hold fresh elections due to breaches of the party’s constitution and the Societies Act.
Ampang Jaya branch chairman Datuk N. Muneandy said Palanivel should be blamed for the protest that took place at the party’s headquarters.
He said the party president was reluctant to meet those hoping to see fresh elections, as instructed by the RoS.
“We had requested to see him on several occasions but instead, he asked us to hand over the documents to his personal secretary, which we felt was inappropriate.
“The gathering of mostly youths could have been avoided if the president had met us and listened to our side of the story,” said Muneandy in a statement yesterday.-thestar
