MIC Threatens ROS With Court Action

By R. S. Ratcharathan KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- History appears to be in the making in the MIC as party president G. Palanivel upped the ante in his threat to take the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to court "to get justice for MIC".

He said if the RoS did not withdraw all its letters to the 69-year-old party before Tuesday, the MIC would not hesitate to take legal action against RoS to get justice for the party.

Palanivel claimed the RoS had contravened the organisation's Act and party constitution.

"I am left with no choice but for MIC to obtain justice from the courts against the grave injustice inflicted by the RoS, with blatant disregard to the law.

"All letters, including those issued on Dec 5, 2014, Dec 31, 2014 and Feb 5, 2015 should be withdrawn before Tuesday (Feb 17)," he told a media conference here today.

Palanivel, who is also natural resources and environment minister said the decision (threatening to take RoS to court) was announced in the Barisan Nasional (BN) supreme council meeting yesterday by MIC secretary-general Datuk S. Sothinathan.

He also stressed the temporary central working committee (CWC) emergency meeting which was held yesterday was invalid. Palanivel claimed four RoS representatives attended the meeting and, according to him, it should not have been the case.

He also denied a claim that Sothinathan's appointment as secretary-general was invalid, as according to articles 46.5 and 49 of the party constitution, "the president has the power to appoint nine CWC members, secretary-general and treasurer-general."

Asked on the party re-election, he said it would be decided after Tuesday and "will wait for the outcome of the court".

To another question, Palanivel, who is also Cameron Highlands member of parliament said he would defend the president's post in the party re-election. Also present at the media conference were Sothinathan and treasurer-general Datuk S. Murugesan.

On Feb 9, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said MIC, a component party of BN, must hold a new election for all elected posts, between April and July this year to avoid de-registeration.

The crisis surfaced after RoS cancelled the election of three vice-president posts and 23 CWC posts at the party's general meeting in Melaka in November 2013, following complaints of misappropriation.

In a letter dated Dec 5, last year, RoS directed MIC to hold a re-election for the posts in 90 days.

The letter has triggered numerous conflicts among party members until today.

-- BERNAMA