MIC mulls term limits for top three posts

NST,

KUALA LUMPUR: The next MIC president, deputy president and vice-presidents are likely to serve only three terms of three years each.

Changes in the party constitution have been proposed to limit the number of years served by the top office-bearers of the Barisan Nasional component party.

The proposals are part of efforts to rebrand and revamp the party to improve its political fortunes.

Sources said the president, deputy president and three vice-presidents were likely to have their terms limited.

Divisional leaders are also expected to have their time in office capped.
However, central working committee members are not bound by such limits.

After serving for three consecutive terms, officials will have to sit it out for at least one term before offering themselves again for election.

"This was discussed at last month's central working committee meeting," a source said.

He said a party constitutional amendments committee has been appointed to look into the proposals.

The committee is expected to submit its findings at the next party CWC meeting next Thursday.

Appointed posts such as those of the secretary-general, treasurer-general and information chief are not included in the proposals.

The changes will have to be endorsed by two-thirds of the 1,500 delegates attending the annual general meeting.

Muthu in hot water

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan continues to be plagued by problems after being disqualified from contesting the post of party president in March. While his disqualification was based on allegations that some of his nominations were duplicated, he has now been served a show-cause letter for allegedly forging signatures of branch chairmen.

A party source said the Negri Sembilan MIC strongman is alleged to have falsified the signatures of proposers in some of his nomination papers.

Some branch chairmen had complained that they were abroad when they had purportedly signed as proposers for the former MIC vice-president's bid to take on party chief Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

It is learnt that the party disciplinary committee is awaiting a reply from the Seremban-based lawyer.
"However, until today, there has been no reply," the source said.

The committee is expected to announce its findings soon, including proof of alleged falsification.

A party member seeking to contest the presidential elections has to obtain 50 nominations, with each nomination needing a proposer and five seconders. All must be branch chairmen.

Samy Vellu was returned unopposed as president to lead the party for an 11th term after 48 out of 53 nominations submitted by Muthupalanippan were rejected by the election steering committee.

In Seremban, Muthupalaniappan said the allegations in the show-cause letter were baseless and unlawful.

He said it was an attempt to tarnish his image and that Samy Vellu was worried that he would go for the deputy president or vice-president's posts in the party elections.

"If I do, he (Samy Vellu) is worried that it will derail his succession plan. I will reply to the show-cause letter. I have nothing to hide."
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urugiah denies bribe allegation

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk T. Murugiah has denied bribing PPP division chiefs ahead of the party elections.

"I don't have money. I don't even own a house. How can I afford to give out money?" he said yesterday.

Murugiah, a former Youth chief and supreme council member, was asked to comment on party chief Datuk M. Kayveas' claim that "a certain individual" was wooing division heads with cash in exchange for votes.

Murugiah is rumoured to be gearing up to contest the PPP president's post in the June 7 party polls.

Nominations must be submitted by May 30.
Murugiah said he had not decided whether to contest any party positions.