Palanivel adamant Indian affairs unit be under MIC, not Hindraf

As such, he said the unit should not be headed by Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy who was named deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department in the new Cabinet line-up recently.

"The (Indian Affairs) unit must be under the MIC. We cannot have two separate organisations functioning for the same community.

"MIC is the mother party of the Indian community since 1946, and we have been doing a good job, and will continue to eradicate long-standing problems," he said.

Palanivel noted that the Special Cabinet Committee for Indians under the Prime Minister's Department, and headed by the MIC, had changed the lives of thousands of Indians, taking them into the mainstream development of the country.

Speaking to reporters after chairing the Central Working Committee meeting at the party headquarters here today, the MIC president said he would meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak next week, to bring up issues on strengthening the needs of the Indian community.

Palanivel said the discussion would also touch on the Indian community's economic agenda.

"This needs a serious discussion. I will meet with the prime minister, either on Monday or Tuesday," he said.

Meanwhile, Palanivel said the MIC would hold private discussions with the People's Progressive Party (PPP), Indian Progressive Front (IPF), Makkal Sakhti and all Indian-based parties on ways to empower Indian votes for the Barisan Nasional coalition.