MIC leaders start campaigning while waiting for High Court decision

Two MIC leaders have started campaigning to gain support from party members in the party's election in May, while awaiting for the High Court decision on the application to invalidate the re-election direction.

The action was seen as a precautionary measure by both parties if the decision could not be made within a certain period, leaving the party with the risk of being deregistered by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

The heat of the re-election in the 68-year-old party was increasingly felt when MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam began their indirect campaigning, recently.

Political analyst, Prof Madya Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said both MIC leaders had clearly started to strenghten their support with a meeting with grassroot members.

"Palanivel and Dr Subramaniam already met supporters nationwide and this is probably because they are worried that this crisis will continue to persist if election was not conducted.

"Although the High Court has set March 20 for the decision, it still can't be guaranteed that a decision will be made on the same date and delays may result in the MIC being deregistered... if that happens, they may not have enough time for campaigning," he said when contacted by Bernama, Monday.

The High Court will decide on Friday whether to allow or dismiss a preliminary objection by the RoS to the leave for judicial review applications filed by some MIC leaders over a directive for the party to hold fresh elections.

On Feb 24, Palanivel, vice-presidents Datuk S. Sothinathan and Datuk S. Balakrishnan and former secretary-general A. Prakash Rao filed the second application, to quash the RoS directive on re-election of the key party positions.

Sivamurugan said a meeting with the party's grassroots is a common scenario but in the 'dying' party as MIC is now, it would be a profound and positive impact on the party, the leaders and MIC members.

Will MIC continue or postpone the party's re-election temporarily? Only the High Court decision this Friday will answer this question.

The MIC crisis escalated following a difference of opinion between the two main leaders of the party after the RoS annulled the election for the post of three vice-presidents and 23 central working committee member positions (CWC) held in November 2013, following complaints of irregularities.

In a letter dated Dec 5, 2014, the RoS had ordered the MIC to hold elections for the posts within 90 days.