The deal being brokered is that MIC hands over two deputy minister posts in return for its president to rise up the Cabinet ranks.
KUALA LUMPUR: Speculation is rife that MIC will be given another full ministership in exhange for two deputy minister posts.
According to the MIC-linked Tamil Nesan, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had yet to decide on who would replace T Murugiah, who had to relinquish his deputy minister post after his senatorship expired on Monday.
Murugiah, a former PPP leader, had joined MIC following a leadership tussle and brought along his senatorship and deputy minister post.
Apart from Murugiah’s deputy minister post, the other deputy minister post which was expected to be given up to Umno was the portfolio held by MIC president G Palanivel.
Palanivel, who was appointed senator and made plantation industries and commodities deputy minister last year, was expected to be given the full minister post.
Palanivel, who succeeded veteran chieftain S Samy Vellu last December, was among the MIC top guns defeated during the 2008 general election.
Currently, MIC has one full minister (Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam, who is also MIC deputy president) and two other deputy ministers, vice-presidents M Saravanan and SK Devamany.
The last time MIC held two cabinet minister posts was in 1976, where the late party president V Manickavasagam was communication minister while his deputy, Athi Nahappan, was appointed as minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of the law portfolio.
However, Athi Nahappan died two months after his appointment.
Since then, Umno had refused to give MIC two Cabinet minister posts, but there was also speculation that both Manickavasagam and his succesor Samy Vellu preferred to remain as the party’s sole full minister, in order to keep it as a “one-man show”.
According to a party insider, Palanivel was unhappy with the current situation, where his party deputy, Subramaniam, outranked him in the government.
“This is why the president has agreed to the swap with Umno. He wants to become a full minister to be on par with his deputy, and the position will also give him the clout and respect needed to lead MIC’s charge in the next general election,” the insider told FMT.
Despite numerous attempts, Palanivel could not be reached for comment.
In another development, another Tamil daily Makkal Osai quoted sources claiming that Penang MIC chief PK Suppaiah had received his appointment letter as senator, replacing the slot vacated by Murugiah.
The report stated that he was expected to be sworn in on April 25.
KUALA LUMPUR: Speculation is rife that MIC will be given another full ministership in exhange for two deputy minister posts.According to the MIC-linked Tamil Nesan, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had yet to decide on who would replace T Murugiah, who had to relinquish his deputy minister post after his senatorship expired on Monday.
Murugiah, a former PPP leader, had joined MIC following a leadership tussle and brought along his senatorship and deputy minister post.
Apart from Murugiah’s deputy minister post, the other deputy minister post which was expected to be given up to Umno was the portfolio held by MIC president G Palanivel.
Palanivel, who was appointed senator and made plantation industries and commodities deputy minister last year, was expected to be given the full minister post.
Palanivel, who succeeded veteran chieftain S Samy Vellu last December, was among the MIC top guns defeated during the 2008 general election.
Currently, MIC has one full minister (Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam, who is also MIC deputy president) and two other deputy ministers, vice-presidents M Saravanan and SK Devamany.
The last time MIC held two cabinet minister posts was in 1976, where the late party president V Manickavasagam was communication minister while his deputy, Athi Nahappan, was appointed as minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of the law portfolio.
However, Athi Nahappan died two months after his appointment.
Since then, Umno had refused to give MIC two Cabinet minister posts, but there was also speculation that both Manickavasagam and his succesor Samy Vellu preferred to remain as the party’s sole full minister, in order to keep it as a “one-man show”.
According to a party insider, Palanivel was unhappy with the current situation, where his party deputy, Subramaniam, outranked him in the government.
“This is why the president has agreed to the swap with Umno. He wants to become a full minister to be on par with his deputy, and the position will also give him the clout and respect needed to lead MIC’s charge in the next general election,” the insider told FMT.
Despite numerous attempts, Palanivel could not be reached for comment.
In another development, another Tamil daily Makkal Osai quoted sources claiming that Penang MIC chief PK Suppaiah had received his appointment letter as senator, replacing the slot vacated by Murugiah.
The report stated that he was expected to be sworn in on April 25.
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