I have no intention to interfere with MIC crisis - Zahid

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid stressed that he and the Registrar of Societies (ROS) do not intend to interfere with the affairs of any political parties, including MIC.

He said what was being conducted by the ROS and the Ministry of Home Affairs was based on the Societies Act 1996 and the constitution of the party itself.

"What is being done is for the leadership and party members to adhere to their constitution which they, themselves, should respect as the constitution is their constitution," he told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from the Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vanu Gopala Menon yesterday.

He was asked to comment on the statement by various quarters in MIC that wanted him not to interfere in the party's latest action to submit an application for judicial review against ROS and its director-general Mohammad Abdullah Razin.

He said political problems should be resolved according to political ways and not through the legal process unless there was no other political solutions.

"I do not expect MIC to be deregistered. However I thank MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel for holding the central working committee (CWC) meeting and I hope this matter can be resolved," said Ahmad Zahid.

He also hoped that any disputed issues that was decided by ROS in the official letter sent to Palanivel and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam could be looked into as soon as possible.

Last Feb 9, Ahmad Zahid said the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party must hold a fresh election for all elected posts between April and July this year to avoid MIC being deregistered due to its internal crisis.

The MIC crisis arose due to differences in views after ROS declared the election of the three vice president posts and 23 CWC posts at the party's general assembly in Melaka in November 2013 null and void.

In a letter dated Dec 5, 2014, ROS ordered MIC to call for a fresh election for the posts within 90 days.

The conflict within the party worsened after Palanivel, last Feb 14, requested the ROS to withdraw all its letters as it allegedly contravened the party constitution and Societies Act and threatened to take legal action if ROS did not comply.

Subsequently on Feb 23, MIC CWC member K. Ramalingam submitted an application for a judicial review against the action and statement made by ROS and its director-general.