KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel has filed an application for a judicial review of the Registrar of Societies’ (RoS) order for the party to hold fresh elections at all levels.
According to The Star on its website today, Palanivel was one of four applicants that is seeking for the courts to examine the RoS directive for MIC to conduct comprehensive elections for every party post when disputes existed only at some levels.
The application filed by Palanivel and three others on February 24 named the Home Ministry and RoS as respondents.
The application for judicial review will be the second on the matter, as MIC strategic director AK Ramalingam filed a similar application last month
The MIC crisis arose following differences in opinions over the RoS’ cancellation of its election for three vice-president posts and 23 Central Working Committee posts held at its annual general assembly in November 2013 following complaints of malpractice.
On February 10, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that MIC would hold fresh party elections at all levels, including for president and deputy president, from April to July, to prevent the party from being deregistered.
At a press conference on February 14, however, Palanivel demanded that the RoS withdraw all its directives to the party, and threatened to sue the agency if it did not comply.
On February 18, in a second meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razaj, Palanivel and MIC deputy president Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam had reportedly agreed that a meeting of the 2009 CWC would convene after the Chinese New Year celebration, to set up an independent committee to oversee the party re-elections.
