Palanivel ordered MIC HQ 6th floor to be locked, says Saravanan

The sixth floor of MIC headquarters was ordered to be locked by its party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel despite a notice issued to hold a special meeting there.

Party vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan who said this when contacted by Astro AWANI, said the meeting was scheduled to be held at 6pm today.

He said Palanivel’s action proved that he was afraid as he did not have the support of the majority.

“We were supposed to hold the special meeting today. The Registrar of Societies had ordered MIC to hold a special meeting within 14 days. Eight days have passed and there is no sign of the president holding one,” he told Astro AWANI.

He said according to the party constitution, a special meeting can be called if there is a request from a minimum of 15 central working committee members.

“Notice has been sent to all CWC members informing of the special meeting. But today Palanivel had ordered for the office to be locked with the intention to stop the meeting. This proves that he is afraid as he does not have the support of the majority,” he said.

He said the party constitution also allowed a CWC member to preside over a special meeting in the event the party president is absent.

Meanwhile, Palanivel in a press statement yesterday said the notice of the emergency meeting was illegal, null and void and also questioned the validity of the former secretary-general A. Saktivel who had signed the letter.

Palanivel who refused to recognize Saktivel as the interim secretary-general and said he had informed the RoS of his decision to appoint Datuk S. Sothinathan as his choice of sec-gen.

“No one can question my sole and absolute rights under Articles 46.5 and 49 of the MIC Constitution,” he said in the press statement.

MIC’s woes are far from over despite the Home Minister and RoS order for a re-election as the teams in the party refuse to recognise the interim CWC members.

On Monday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the 68-year-old party had to hold fresh elections for all elected posts between April and July to avoid deregistration.

The decision was made by RoS to ensure that the dispute over the election of the party's office-bearers could be resolved once and for all.