KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — Barisan Nasional (BN) told MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel today to take responsibility for the current mess in his party instead of blaming others like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
In a brief statement here, BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor told Palanivel that MIC should abide by the instructions of the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and re-elect its party leaders.
“Datuk Seri Palanivel should take responsibility and not try to divert attention from the mess in his own party by blaming others, never mind the prime minister.
“We will not tolerate that. MIC members complained to the Registrar of Societies and the RoS then advised Datuk Seri Palanivel to hold party re-elections based on the 2009 CWC and the delegates list of 2012. The courts agree and that is what Datuk Seri Palanivel must do,” he said.
Yesterday, Palanivel reportedly accused Najib, who is also BN chairman, of triggering MIC’s leadership crisis.
According to a report on The Star Online, Palanivel told thousands of supporters who had turned up to see him at a mass rally in the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) that it was Najib who “got involved in pressuring MIC to reject the 2013 election results”.
“It is the prime minister’s fault as he agreed to have the re-election,” Palanivel was quoted saying.
Since then, he pointed out that MIC has been embroiled in a court battle to challenge the RoS’ directive calling on it to hold a re-election.
On June 16, the High Court binned two judicial review bids by Palanivel and others on the RoS’ directive for fresh polls, effectively upholding the authority’s call.
According to The Star Online, Palanivel also said yesterday that the MIC will hold its branch elections this August.
Earlier today, Najib said on his Facebook page that he will seek an explanation from Palanivel.
