Analysis: The MIC crisis

The controversies surrounding the 2013 November party polls was enough to keep us ordinary Malaysians entertained. Few are amused while others just wish for the politicians to get their act together and move on.

The issue surrounding the election began when eight people contested for the three vice-president position which ended up with a total of FIVE recounts due to the closeness of the votes.

At each recount, the number of delegates who voted varied and the results were only announced the next day.

Naturally, many were unhappy with the final results and had demanded for fresh elections only to be rejected. This led them to lodge reports with the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

A year later, in Dec 2014, the RoS finally declared the election. RoS declared the Central Working Committee (CWC) as illegal fresh elections were ordered.

Party president Datuk Seri G.Palanivel for reasons best known to him, remained tight-lipped and refused to heed RoS orders and decided to buy more time, without the knowledge of his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and the rest of the party.

Details later emerged that Palanivel had met RoS with a lawyer and handed over a letter. The content of the letter remain unknown. Furious with the ‘betrayal’ Dr Subramaniam’s camp began campaigning for Palanivel’s removal.

Not wanting to be outdone, Palanivel then began his nationwide tour, claiming wanting to know what the party members wanted, breaking the moratorium, initiated by Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Amid all these, Palanivel managed to remove several key people including the party’s secretary-general (sec-gen), some state MIC chiefs as well as Datuk M. Saravanan who has now expressed his desire to take on Palanivel for the presidency. Then, there was the hunger strike by Palanivel’s appointed sec-gen Datuk G. Kumar Aaman who wanted to be recognised as the lawful sec-gen following wide challenge to the appointment.

If these were not enough to keep us entertained, a photo emerged last week, of Saravanan with a gun tucked into his belt.

The photo which began to circulate on Facebook and WhatsApp messages, was first published on news portal Malaysiakini and was taken at the party’s HQ last week .

The photo issue died down with Saravanan declaring that he is a licensed gun owner and police announcing that they will investigate him for alleged intimidation.

While touring Johor, Palanivel on Sunday announced that a fresh election will be held, earning the ire of party top guns who were not happy they nor the CWC were not consulted.

Then, on Wednesday, Najib who must be tired with all the squabbles, announced for a fresh election. The announcement is believed would end the ugly internal bickering for more than a year now as the party would be geared up for the fresh polls.

But, wait. The crisis may have ended but the drama would continue until the election is concluded.