Subra denies involvement in forming anti-Samy group

MIC deputy president S Subramaniam said he sympathised with sacked party Youth deputy chief V Mugilan but denied cooperating with him to form the Gerakan Anti Samy Vellu (GAS) or Anti-Samy Vellu Movement.

"The accusation by newly appointed MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) member S Vell Paari, who is also Samy Vellu's son, that we had cooperated in forming GAS, as reported by a Tamil newspaper today, is malicious," he said.

Speaking to reporters after officiating at the Sri Subramaniar temple anniversary celebration in Serdang, near here, today, Subramaniam (left) said since being involved in politics, he had never "stabbed people in the back".

He said he was still discussing with his lawyer whether to sue Vell Paari for defamation.

Subramaniam, however, believed that Mugilan's setting up of GAS to pressure Samy Vellu to step down as party president would receive strong support from the party grassroots nationwide.

"Not only the MIC grassroot leaders want Samy Vellu to leave now, but former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had also advised him to step down two years ago," he said.

Subramaniam claimed that Samy Vellu had sacked about 100,000 party members since he became president 31 years ago.

"The sooner the transfer of power is made, the better it is for MIC as the Indian community has been waiting for a dynamic transformation under a new party leadership," he said.

- Bernama