Muthu: Underhand Tactics To Ensure No-contest

By S. Retnanathan

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) -- MIC presidential aspirant Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan has charged that several MIC leaders are using underhand tactics to frustrate his bid for the party's top post.

Such below-the-belt tactics, he said, were deployed to ensure incumbent MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu won the post uncontested.

The 66-year-old leader from Seremban also claimed that MIC branch chairmen were subjected to threats to ensure that he did not meet the 50 nominations required, to enable him to contest the top post.

"There are people going around asking branch chairmen to sign nomination forms for Samy Vellu, when they (the branch chairmen) had already nominated me.

"Some leaders think that if they force branch chairmen to sign both the nomination forms, one for me and one for the incumbent, automatically the nomination would be null and void.

"Branch chairmen are only allowed to nominate one person. Some leaders are saying it is alright to sign twice. This is wrong and misleading. All they want is to declare my nomination null and void but I have my defence mechanism which I would reveal at the right time," he told Bernama in an interview today.

Late last year, Muthupalaniappan announced his intention to contest the party's top post. He will face Samy Vellu, who had declared that he would defend the post.

The incumbent has been at the helm of the largest Indian-based political party since 1979, when he became the acting president, following the demise of then-president Tan Sri V. Manikavasagam.

Under the party constitution, a presidential aspirant needs to obtain 50 nominations, with each nomination needing one proposer and five seconders, to be eligible to contest. All proposers and seconders must be branch chairmen.

The MIC president will be picked by some 3,700 branch chairmen nationwide. The party has fixed March 22 for the presidential nomination while polling is slated for April 12.

If Samy Vellu wins uncontested, in the event Muthupalaniappan fails to obtain the 50 nominations needed, then the MIC chief would be crowned president on March 22 -- the same date he officially became the party supremo, 28 years ago in 1981.

Another issue brought up by the former MIC vice-president was that the party headquarters was issuing "two sets" of nomination forms to branch chairman.

"One nomination form has Samy Vellu's name printed on it, while the other is empty. The nomination form which has his name is given out freely to branch chairmen while the empty form is only given out after some pestering and coaxing...it is so difficult to obtain a nomination form which is empty as the incumbent's name is printed on it to ensure he obtains the nomination.

"If they give out empty forms, then they are scared that the branch chairmen would nominate me and allow me to contest. The forms should not be handled by the MIC headquarters but the election steering committee.

"The headquarters is controlled by one leader and we all know who he is...he must provide a level-playing field. Let democracy takes its course.

"There is no need for such tactics. If the people really want you to lead, then they will definitely pick you. Please do not force people to pick you," urged Muthupalaniappan who furnished Bernama with a nomination form with Samy Vellu's name printed on it. The form was supposedly obtained from the MIC headquarters.

He said he was only allotted 65 nomination forms and his request for more forms had yet to be entertained, with nominations just 10 days away.

"Although I only need 50 nomination forms, I want more forms as it can be distributed easily. Presently, with the available forms, I have to ensure all forms are filled out properly. If I get two branch chairmen who want to nominate me in Johor, I need to rush the forms to Kedah for the remainder four nominations.

"This takes time. This is because I only have 65 forms. If more nomination forms are given out, then it would make the whole nomination process easier. Nomination forms, which are supposed to be distributed at all state MIC offices, are just not there.

"You can only obtain the forms at the headquarters. So, if someone from Kedah wants to nominate me, then the person has to come down to Kuala Lumpur to collect it. This is not feasible," he added.

He refuted recent claims by party secretary-general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam that presidential nomination forms were available at all state liaison offices.

"Let me tell you that there are no nomination forms available at state offices. I have checked and double-checked. It can only be obtained at the headquarters. Why is it so difficult to obtain nomination forms? Why limit it to just 65 for a candidate? Give it out freely.

Asked on his chances of obtaining the nominations and contesting the MIC top post, he said presently, the concerted effort put in by some party leaders to ensure he did not contest, seemed to bear fruit.

"I would say that I am facing an uphill task. Even obtaining nomination forms is a huge task, what more asking branch leaders to sign it. The branch chairmen are scared.

"Even in the event of a contest, I am sure there are more tricks up the sleeves of some leaders to ensure Samy Vellu wins comfortably," Muthupalaniappan claimed.