Umno denies backing Mugilan in MIC crisis

 

Vell Paari has accused Umno of helping those trying to oust his father, Samy Vellu. 

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Umno has denied sponsoring or supporting the Anti-Samy Vellu Movement (GAS) that wants to end the MIC president’s grip on power, warning the party not to drag it into a growing leadership crisis.

The dominant party in the ruling Barisan Nasional has been accused by Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s son, Vell Paari, of sponsoring the movement to topple his father.

“Don’t drag Umno into the MIC crisis,” party secretary-general Datuk Rauf Yusoh told The Malaysian Insider.

Rauf stressed that Umno was not partisan and would not go against Barisan Nasional’s (BN) interests to generate a following or increase its membership.

“MCA has also faced such problems and we have offered support to solve them,” he added.

He said Vell Paari’s accusation was unfair as they did not employ strategies and plans to end the party president’s time in Umno.

“No, no... it is just an accusation. We have our own issues that need solutions,” Rauf added.

Vell Paari, who was named central working committee (CWC) member, yesterday said Umno was using “political assassination” to get his father to step down under the movement started by sacked youth leader, V. Mugilan.

The chief executive officer for Maika Holdings Sdn Bhd said Umno was showing bad habits by quietly backing someone else when political ties cooled down between the allies.

The MIC Youth advisor claimed that Umno had been using party leaders to “kill” Samy Vellu’s political career since the latter took office in 1979.

“When you are not happy, you use those inside the party to run it. This affects the basis of democracy and Barisan Nasional’s spirit to determine leaders,” said Samy Vellu’s only soon.

Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, have urged MIC to solve the crisis so that it would not weaken the BN coalition in the next general election. MIC has been wary of Umno since the Hulu Selangor by-election, when both parties clashed over the choice of candidate.

Samy Vellu’s choice of his deputy, Datuk G. Palanivel, was not well received by his Umno peers, who later compromised on MIC publicity chief P. Kamalanathan.

Asked if Umno supported Mugilan due to the Hulu Selangor campaign, Rauf said the party had good relations with all its counterparts.

“Umno is not just friendly with Mugilan only... Umno is good with people, all BN component parties, we work together as a team,” he said, adding Umno had no need to explain itself to MIC

“I don’t care about the baseless claims,” he added.

MIC has been in crisis over the past two weeks as Samy Vellu used his wide presidential powers to expel four CWC leaders: Mugilan, V. Subramaniam, KP Samy dan G. Kumar Aamaan.

Both Samy and Kumar were sacked yesterday, three days after asking Samy Vellu to step down immediately rather than late next year.