By S. Retnanathan
KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Long-serving MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is all set to retain the party's top post for a record 11th consecutive term at the MIC presidential nomination on March 22.
While nomination for the MIC presidential election is a week away, the grapevine has it that the 73-year-old who celebrated his birthday on March 8, would retain the post without a fight.
Sources reveal that his 'contender' Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan, who voiced his intention to contest the post late last year, was unlikely to obtain the 50 nominations needed to be eligible to fight the post.
Muthupalaniappan, in the run-up to the nomination process, has on numerous occasions pointed out that the system in which the party protected its leaders, especially the president, was outdated, unfair and biased.
The incumbent Samy Vellu, who was works minister before his loss in the Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency at the 2008 general elections, has been at the helm of the largest Indian-based political party since 1979, when he became the acting president, following the demise of then-president Tan Sri V. Manikavasagam.
Under the party constitution, a presidential aspirant needs to obtain 50 nominations, with each nomination needing one proposer and five seconders, to be eligible to contest. All proposers and seconders must be branch chairmen.
The MIC president will be picked by about 3,700 branch chairmen nationwide. The party has fixed March 22 for the presidential nomination while polling is slated for April 12.
If Samy Vellu wins uncontested -- in the event Muthupalaniappan fails to obtain the 50 nominations needed -- then the MIC chief would be crowned president on March 22 -- the same date he officially became the party supremo, 28 years ago in 1981.
All indications are that Samy Vellu, who was last challenged for the MIC top post more than 15 years ago, would be crowned president, come March 22.
Even Muthupalaniappan, although not conceding the race, appears to wilt under the heat of Samy Vellu and his band of men, who are all in the MIC central working committee (CWC), the party's highest decision-making body.
Asked on his chances of obtaining the nominations and contesting the MIC top post, Muthupalaniappan told Bernama that concerted efforts by some party leaders to ensure he did not contest, appeared to bear fruit.
"I would say that I am facing an uphill task. Even obtaining nomination forms is a huge task, what more asking branch leaders to sign it. The branch chairmen are scared.
"Even in the event of a contest, I am sure there are more tricks up the sleeves of some leaders to ensure Samy Vellu wins comfortably," said Muthupalaniappan, 66, the former MIC vice-president who hails from Seremban.
Political observers say the reason for Samy Vellu to remain unchallenged for decades is because of "politics of patronage".
"All the CWC members, except for two in the present CWC, were put in by him. At the last party elections and even elections before that, he would ensure leaders he picked sat on the CWC. They are then appointed as state liason chiefs.
"If Samy Vellu gets wind of anyone trying to play politics within, then that person is chopped down using various excuses. There is no room for dissent. The MIC CWC is considered to be his band of men who readily agree to anything the president says," said an MIC division leader, who declined to be named for fear of repercussions.
He said these CWC members who were appointed state leaders to solidify their positions and "please the president", in turn ensured all division leaders followed the MIC supremo's orders without questions.
"This is why Muthupalaniappan is finding it difficult to obtain the 50 nominations needed. If a branch leader signs a nomination for him, then the said branch leader is quickly cornered by the division leader and is made to sign another nomination for Samy Vellu. Automatically, the nomination for Muthupalaniappan becomes invalid because the branch chairman has signed two nomination forms," said a party veteran.
This time around, the presidential election is being held before the divisional election, which would only be held, beginning mid-April.
"This is also another tactic. If branch leaders from a certain division do not support Samy Vellu, then come April, that division leader would definitely be challenged and is likely to lose his post. The challenge will come from any one of Samy Vellu's grassroots supporters.
"So, in order to maintain their respective posts at the division level, the division leaders are working very hard to please Samy Vellu by ensuring that all branch leaders in the division do not nominate Muthupalaniappan," said the senior leader.
He argued that division elections should have been held before the presidential election and not after, as this allowed Samy Vellu to "politically blackmail" division leaders.
Muthupalaniappan revealed that another reason why he was struggling to obtain enough nomination to fight the MIC top post was because division leaders, who are supposed to be returning officers in the presidential election, had turned campaigners for Samy Vellu.
"Division leaders are supposed to be returning officers of the presidential elections and this is stated in the party constitution. In that sense, they should not be allowed to campaign. How can the Election Commission campaign for a certain candidate?
"But this is what is happening now. Division leaders call for a division meeting and ask all branch leaders to sign nomination forms for Samy Vellu. Anyone who does not sign is blacklisted. Now, is that democracy?," asked Muthupalaniappan.
He argued that Samy Vellu should provide a level-playing field in the contest as the veteran claimed that he was "unshakeable" in the MIC.
"If he is as strong as he claims, then he should not fear and use these tactics to retain his post. Come and have a clean fight," urged Muthupalaniappan.
While, issuing such a challenge would be easy, one has only to ask, when has MIC politics been about fairness or involved a 'level-playing' field?
KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Long-serving MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is all set to retain the party's top post for a record 11th consecutive term at the MIC presidential nomination on March 22.
While nomination for the MIC presidential election is a week away, the grapevine has it that the 73-year-old who celebrated his birthday on March 8, would retain the post without a fight.
Sources reveal that his 'contender' Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan, who voiced his intention to contest the post late last year, was unlikely to obtain the 50 nominations needed to be eligible to fight the post.
Muthupalaniappan, in the run-up to the nomination process, has on numerous occasions pointed out that the system in which the party protected its leaders, especially the president, was outdated, unfair and biased.
The incumbent Samy Vellu, who was works minister before his loss in the Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency at the 2008 general elections, has been at the helm of the largest Indian-based political party since 1979, when he became the acting president, following the demise of then-president Tan Sri V. Manikavasagam.
Under the party constitution, a presidential aspirant needs to obtain 50 nominations, with each nomination needing one proposer and five seconders, to be eligible to contest. All proposers and seconders must be branch chairmen.
The MIC president will be picked by about 3,700 branch chairmen nationwide. The party has fixed March 22 for the presidential nomination while polling is slated for April 12.
If Samy Vellu wins uncontested -- in the event Muthupalaniappan fails to obtain the 50 nominations needed -- then the MIC chief would be crowned president on March 22 -- the same date he officially became the party supremo, 28 years ago in 1981.
All indications are that Samy Vellu, who was last challenged for the MIC top post more than 15 years ago, would be crowned president, come March 22.
Even Muthupalaniappan, although not conceding the race, appears to wilt under the heat of Samy Vellu and his band of men, who are all in the MIC central working committee (CWC), the party's highest decision-making body.
Asked on his chances of obtaining the nominations and contesting the MIC top post, Muthupalaniappan told Bernama that concerted efforts by some party leaders to ensure he did not contest, appeared to bear fruit.
"I would say that I am facing an uphill task. Even obtaining nomination forms is a huge task, what more asking branch leaders to sign it. The branch chairmen are scared.
"Even in the event of a contest, I am sure there are more tricks up the sleeves of some leaders to ensure Samy Vellu wins comfortably," said Muthupalaniappan, 66, the former MIC vice-president who hails from Seremban.
Political observers say the reason for Samy Vellu to remain unchallenged for decades is because of "politics of patronage".
"All the CWC members, except for two in the present CWC, were put in by him. At the last party elections and even elections before that, he would ensure leaders he picked sat on the CWC. They are then appointed as state liason chiefs.
"If Samy Vellu gets wind of anyone trying to play politics within, then that person is chopped down using various excuses. There is no room for dissent. The MIC CWC is considered to be his band of men who readily agree to anything the president says," said an MIC division leader, who declined to be named for fear of repercussions.
He said these CWC members who were appointed state leaders to solidify their positions and "please the president", in turn ensured all division leaders followed the MIC supremo's orders without questions.
"This is why Muthupalaniappan is finding it difficult to obtain the 50 nominations needed. If a branch leader signs a nomination for him, then the said branch leader is quickly cornered by the division leader and is made to sign another nomination for Samy Vellu. Automatically, the nomination for Muthupalaniappan becomes invalid because the branch chairman has signed two nomination forms," said a party veteran.
This time around, the presidential election is being held before the divisional election, which would only be held, beginning mid-April.
"This is also another tactic. If branch leaders from a certain division do not support Samy Vellu, then come April, that division leader would definitely be challenged and is likely to lose his post. The challenge will come from any one of Samy Vellu's grassroots supporters.
"So, in order to maintain their respective posts at the division level, the division leaders are working very hard to please Samy Vellu by ensuring that all branch leaders in the division do not nominate Muthupalaniappan," said the senior leader.
He argued that division elections should have been held before the presidential election and not after, as this allowed Samy Vellu to "politically blackmail" division leaders.
Muthupalaniappan revealed that another reason why he was struggling to obtain enough nomination to fight the MIC top post was because division leaders, who are supposed to be returning officers in the presidential election, had turned campaigners for Samy Vellu.
"Division leaders are supposed to be returning officers of the presidential elections and this is stated in the party constitution. In that sense, they should not be allowed to campaign. How can the Election Commission campaign for a certain candidate?
"But this is what is happening now. Division leaders call for a division meeting and ask all branch leaders to sign nomination forms for Samy Vellu. Anyone who does not sign is blacklisted. Now, is that democracy?," asked Muthupalaniappan.
He argued that Samy Vellu should provide a level-playing field in the contest as the veteran claimed that he was "unshakeable" in the MIC.
"If he is as strong as he claims, then he should not fear and use these tactics to retain his post. Come and have a clean fight," urged Muthupalaniappan.
While, issuing such a challenge would be easy, one has only to ask, when has MIC politics been about fairness or involved a 'level-playing' field?
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