KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — The Indian Progressive Front, which claims to have some 300,000 members, plunged into a crisis after the Registrar of Societies declared as void the election of Puan Sri Jayashree Pandithan as party president on Dec 14 last year.
Among others, Registrar Datuk Md Alias Kalil, in a letter to the party dated Jan 30, declared that the appointment of Jayashree was not in accordance with the Societies Act 1966.
He also declared void the suspension of deputy president V. Senggutuan and vice-president M. Mathyalagan and the show-cause notice issued to 12 IPF supreme council members by Jayashree last December. The contents of the registrar's letter were released to the media by Senggutuan today.
"The ROS in the letter also declared that the IPF general assembly held on Dec 14 was unconstitutional. The letter also states that all those suspended be reinstated to their original position failing which action would be instituted under section 13 of the Societies Act.
"With the clarification, Puan Sri Jayashree is no more the party president. I have been reinstated as deputy president and thus I would take over as acting president of the party. Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been informed of this," said Senggutuan.
Although IPF is not a BN component party, it supported the ruling coalition.
The letter also said failure to abide by the rulings would result in action being instituted against the party under section 13 of the Act. The section would allow the registrar to cancel or suspend IPF, a splinter party of the MIC, as a registered society.
"Basically it means that if the orders of the registrar are not followed, then the IPF can be deregistered. I would be calling for a meeting of the old supreme council and decide on the next course of action of the party," he added.
At the Dec 14 IPF general assembly Jayashree was returned unopposed as party chief; while K. Murugiah was elected deputy president; and M. Sambanthan, S. Visvanathan and K. Naducheralathan, the three vice-presidents. It also named K. Velayuthan as party secretary-general and M. Thirumugam, treasurer.
The IPF leadership tussle began in May 2008, soon after the death of its founder Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan, who was MIC vice-president before he quit the largest Indian-based political party in the country to form IPF nearly 20 years ago. Pandithan died on April 30 after losing the battle to cancer.
On Nov 10, the IPF supreme council, headed by Jayashree, issued a three-month suspension order against Senggutuan, Mathyalagan and Youth chief R. Ravi Shankar.
Senggutuan was alleged to have violated party regulations while Mathyalagan was said to have issued contradicting press statements detrimental to the party leadership. Ravi was asked to relinquish his post as he was declared a bankrupt.
Mathyalagan, who filed a law suit against Jayashree's appointment as IPF president, failed in his bid to stop her from continuing after the court ruled on Dec 26 that section 18C of the Societies Act stated very clearly that the court could not entertain or determine any suit, application or proceeding on any ground in relation to party decisions.
The suspended leaders had also lodged a complaint with the ROS against the actions against them by Jayashree and the new supreme council and Md Alias' letter was in reply to the complaint.
Yesterday, Jayashree filed a suit against the ROS in an attempt to squash its latest ruling. — Bernama
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