KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — At a special MIC assembly today, thousands of MIC members gathered to rally behind their party chief Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, local daily The Star reported.
The party’s crisis started last week when Palanivel suspended his deputy Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam and 13 others. Hours after his suspension Subramaniam claimed that Palanivel had contravened the party’s constitution and therefore was no longer an MIC member, according to The Star. He added that he was taking over as acting president.
According to the report in the daily, Selangor MIC deputy chairman C. Krishnan said he had full confidence in the party’s success only under the leadership of Palanivel, claiming that the party chief had the people’s interest in mind and would not practise ‘gutter politics’.
Malacca MIC chairman Datuk M.S. Mahadevan said that it was time for their members to decide on their leader, adding that it was impossible for one house to have two fathers.
The Star also reported that a proposal by a former Kedah MIC chairman for Palanivel to negotiate with the rival faction met with boos.
Other arguments from party leaders included the future of all party investment, including the ownership of the AIMST University and TAFE college, as reported in The Star.
