To lock horns with Samy, Muthu needs to clear major hurdle

Bernama - Nov 12 2008

The man who wants to lock horns with Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to become the MIC supremo at the party’s presidential election in March, must first clear a major hurdle.

Former MIC vice-president Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan, who yesterday announced his intention to contest the party presidency, must be endorsed by 300 out of the 3,200 MIC branch chairmen.

A presidential candidate needs 50 nominations and each nomination must be signed by a proposer and five seconders. All proposers and seconders must be branch chairmen.

Clarifying earlier media reports, MIC treasurer-general and 2006 party election steering committee member Tan Sri M. Mahalingam said all nominations could only be signed by branch chairmen and not branch office-bearers, as reported.

“The MIC presidential election by-laws stipulate that a candidate must obtain 50 nominations and each nomination paper must be signed by six branch chairmen (one proposer and five seconders). In total, 300 branch chairmen must sign the nomination papers of each candidate, to ensure he or she is eligible to contest,” he told Bernama.
He said the MIC central working committee (CWC) would most probably, within its next two meetings, decide on the composition of the new election steering committee entrusted to conduct the presidential polls.

“Everyone can rest assured that the committee, as usual, would comprise non-partisan personalities. They could be either former party leaders or those who have a standing in the community and party,” added Mahalingam.

Muthupalaniappan, fondly referred to as Muthu in party circles, is unperturbed.

Contacted by Bernama today, he said he was confident of getting the support of the 300 branch chairmen.

“They will support me. That is the situation on the ground. I should be able to get 300 branch chairmen to sign the nomination papers,” he said.

However, a party source revealed that the issue now would be whether branch elections would be held before or after the presidential election.

“If branch elections are concluded before the presidential election, then branch chairmen would not have to fear that their branches would be closed down if they supported Muthu.

“But if the presidential election is held before the branch election, then the other side (incumbent president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu) would know which branch chairman nominated Muthu, giving rise to a fear of persecution or witch-hunt.

“Their branches could even be closed down for various reasons, for being ’inactive’ and so on. They might even not be issued the ’B’ form by the headquarters to conduct branch meetings, thus nullifying or closing them down,” the source said.

According to party constitution, branch elections must be conducted every three years. The current term ends in mid-February, next year.

However, the CWC, the party’s highest decision-making body, could defer branch elections to give way to the presidential polls.

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Muthupalaniappan says he is MIC’s Obama

By Baradan Kuppusamy, Malaysianinsider.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — MIC veteran Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan, who is one of those responsible for the rise of veteran president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu 20 years ago, confirmed today he will “definitely” contest against his former mentor in the presidential elections in March 2009.

“It’s on, I am ready to go,” Muthupalaniappan told The Malaysian Insider when contacted today.

“Party members are already calling me the Obama of MIC, the force to oust Samy and bring a major leadership change in the MIC,” he said. “There is an urgent need for a leadership change to bring back Indian support for the MIC.”

Datuk Muthu, as he is popularly known in the MIC, said he is fighting "independently and is not allied with any leaders."

"I am fighting on my own merits and on my own agenda which is for change," he said, denying speculation he is allied with and is the point man of yet unidentified MIC leaders to force out Samy Vellu.

"I shall and will bring change to MIC and to the community," he pledged.

Muthupalaniappan, 66, who claims he has received overwhelming support from the grassroots, is however fighting an uphill battle to defeat Samy Vellu.

One reason is the nomination system.

He needs 300 branches to support his challenge before he qualifies. Another is the counting system where the votes are counted at the divisional level and out of the limelight and consequently chances for votes to "stray" are high.

The last time Samy Vellu was challenged was in 1989 by then deputy Datuk S. Subramaniam, who lost narrowly and later alleged foul play.

Court affidavits were prepared to nullify the vote but the case did not proceed because of a deal struck between Samy Vellu and Subramaniam to move on.

Muthupalaniappan has pledged if he wins to re-admit all expelled MIC members and reinstate all the branches closed by Samy Vellu over the last two decades.

Muthupalaniappan was first elected to the MIC central working committee in 1979. The same year, he was appointed Negri Sembilan MIC chief and party Youth head.

He was made a senator in 1980 and two years later won the Si Rusa state seat and made a Negri Sembilan state executive councillor.

During this time he was a staunch Samy Vellu supporter and acquiesced in all the alleged "dirty tricks" done to keep Samy Vellu in power.

However their relationship soured and when he contested the party vice-presidency in 1987 and 1991, he lost both times after Samy Vellu withdrew his support.

Muthupalaniappan won as vice-president in 1997 on his own steam but could not retain the post in the party's 2000 and 2006 elections.

Samy Vellu has announced that he will defend the post he has held since 1979.