Samy Vellu: MIC leadership should have acted on party polls irregularities complaints

The MIC top leadership should have taken the first step when its members complain about the alleged irregularities in the party polls held, last year.

Criticising the party’s leadership, former MIC President Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu said the issue would have been contained within the party if leaders had acted on the complaints received.

“If something is wrong in anything, the leadership should have taken the first step. Call them (the complainants), tell them what do you think. If so, the matter would have been within the party. Now, it's no longer within the party. It shouldn't happen. “When somebody complains, we have to look at it immediately,” he told Astro AWANI.

Samy Vellu said so when commenting on reports of more than 2,000 MIC branch chairmen and leaders will be handing over a memorandum to Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak at his office in Putrajaya at 2pm today (Thursday).

The memorandum aims at expressing the members' 'uncertainties' over the long delay by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) in making a decision on the numerous complaints made by more than 20 MIC leaders on the alleged irregularities.

Among the complainants was former party Youth Chief, T. Mohan, who said that it has been 10 months since the complaint was filed and yet no action taken by the ROS.

To this, Samy Vellu said those who lodged their complaints to the ROS are merely utilising the rights given to them under the MIC constitution.

The party’s elections was held after it was postponed for more than a year -- to give way for the 13th General Elections -- only to be marred with controversies.

This includes the allegations of irregularities in the votes counting process during the election. This is because the votes to determine the three new vice-presidents had to be recounted five times with the announcement of the winners made only the next day.

The recounting also demonstrates that the numbers varied dramatically from the unofficial results which left a bitter taste in the mouth for some of the members and candidates.