MIC leaders: Avoiding contest for president's post will benefit party

A no contest for MIC’s president post will only do the party a world of good and strengthen it further.

This is the opinion of former MIC women chief Datin Paduka Jaya Parthiban who said a no contest for the president’s post will create more unity within the party as there would not be anyone taking sides.

“No contest means there won’t be a Palanivel and Subramaniam team. Their supporters won’t take sides and there will be no split in the party.

“If there is a contest, there will definitely be a split, which is exactly what the party does not need now,” Jaya told Astro Awani.

Jaya said so when responding to MIC President Datuk Seri G. Palanivel’s announcement yesterday that he will step down as MIC president in 2016 and MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam’s announcement that he will not be challenging Palanivel for the president’s post.

However, Jaya, who is also the woman wing's advisor admits that the party is weak and needs further strengthening and support from the Indian community.

“During the 13th General Election, we realised that the Indians support Barisan Nasional (BN) but not MIC candidates.

“After the General Election, the party has been focusing on its own election instead of gaining the Indian community’s support.

“Since now there has been confirmation that there will be no contest for the president’s post, it is now time for the party to bring back the Indian community’s support,” Jaya said.

MIC treasurer-general Datuk Jaspal Singh said the decision to avert a contest is something that would benefit the party.

“Palanivel wants to bring changes to the party and he is committed to make constitutional changes.

“He has decided that he will make these reforms before he leaves. The party will survive even though there will be no contest for the president post,” he said.

Palanivel, who is the Natural Resources and Environment Minister, had said that he would step down in the first quarter of 2016 at the end of his term before the deputy president takes over.

However, he said, this was not a condition agreed or compromised.

"No compromise. I only asked for one more term. I already announced it many times," he had said.

Subramaniam on the other hand, had said that his decision to not go for the president’s post was made after taking into account the unity in the party and to serve the community better.