By : R. Sittamparam NST, Jan 20 2009
KUALA LUMPUR: A day before he is supposed to face MIC disciplinary proceedings, Datuk M. Muthu Palaniappan took a swipe at the MIC party president, accusing him of "hiding behind" the committee.
Muthu alleged that party supremo Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was afraid to take him on for the party president's post and was using the disciplinary committee to oust him.
The 66-year-old, who faces the disciplinary committee today for allegedly making statements detrimental to the party said: "Samy Vellu had previously claimed he could take on 100 contenders for the presidency, so why isn't he taking up my challenge?"
The former MIC vice president said having been terrorised by the party leadership over the past 10 years, he was not power-crazy.
"I'm a genuine MIC man and I want to put a stop to Samy Vellu's leadership which has brought much disappointment to the community.
"I can't bear to see the community moving away from MIC to join other parties and the hundreds of branches being suspended and members expelled by Samy Vellu."
He was speaking at a press conference which was also attended by former MIC division chiefs of Klang and Sungai Siput, Alex Thiagarajan and M. Loganathan who had been sacked by Samy Vellu.
Muthu said ever since he announced his decision to contest against Samy Vellu, he had been receiving encouragement everywhere he went.
"The critics said that I would not be able to get the 50 required nominations as branch chiefs would not dare to oppose Samy Vellu.
"But hundreds of branches have come to support me. They don't want me to back down."
Muthu also alleged that the "charges" against him, for which he will face the disciplinary committee today, were baseless.
He said the charges were based on excerpts from a Nov 11, 2008 Makkal Osai newspaper article and from an interview with Malaysiakini the following month.
"I don't recognise the excerpts. The committee has refused my written request for a copy of the complaint and the full text of the statements alleged to have been made by me."
Muthu said he would make an appeal for a special independent committee to look into the complaint.
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Samy Vellu's challenger says "they just want to nail me!"
Muthupalaniappan going through documents at the press conference after the inquiry. In the centre is his son and lawyer M. Muthuraman and another lawyer Datuk M.S.Murthi.
By Baradan Kuppusamy
Themalaysiainsider.com
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 - It is beginning to appear that in MIC there is no right or wrong, only what the president wants.
And this time the president wants to be elected unopposed and one man is standing in the way - former MIC Vice President Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan.
The party president's wishes suggests the speed in which disciplinary action is being taken against Muthupalaniappan, who is beginning to win support from the MIC's long suffering grassroots, so that Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu can cruise in unopposed when his term as president expires on 25 May 2009.
Time is of the essence, going by the way the MIC disciplinary committee today brushed aside all objections and protests from Muthupalaniappan, and completed the disciplinary inquiry against the challenger - all within 45 minutes.
Every objection raised by Muthupalaniappan was rejected by committee chairman Tan Sri G. Vadiveloo, who also asked two of his lawyers to leave the inquiry room.
A request for a three-day postponement to bring 12 witnesses was rejected. An objection asking Vadiveloo to disqualifying himself because he was an interested party was also rejected.
A request to get details of the complainant was rejected.
"They just want to nail me. This is disgusting…how Samy Vellu and his cronies are terrorizing the MIC and its members," a visibly upset Muthupalaniappan told reporters waiting outside the inquiry room at the MIC headquarters today.
"If I am expelled or suspended I will take it up with the BN leaders," Muthupalaniappan said. "I vow to fight on. I am doing it for the MIC and the Indian community."
Later Vadiveloo was adamant, saying it was a fair inquiry, and arguing that all of the preliminary objections by Muthupalaniappan were properly rejected and he was asked to defend himself on the charges that he had tarnished the party's "good name" in several press statements last month.
In one of the statements Muthupalaniappan had said Samy Vellu was opening and closing branches as he liked, had questioned the veracity of the complaints against him and later wrote a letter demanding an independent inquiry minus Vadiveloo.
Vadiveloo said the committee would evaluate and make recommendations to the CWC for further action but declined to say what the penalty would be.
Samy Vellu when met outside his office said: "I don't know anything, I am not involved."
The crux of the issue is that there is fear in Samy Vellu's camp that considering the hostile mood among the MIC rank and file after the massive March 8 polls losses, Muthupalaniappan is sure to win three or even four times the 50 branch nominations needed to challenge Samy Vellu when the incumbent's term expires on May 25.
Such an event would severely embarrass Samy Vellu because no other challenger except his former deputy Datuk S. Subramaniam had ever qualified to mount a challenge. That was in 1989 and Subramaniam eventually lost while alleging massive rigging the day after the vote.
There is also fear that Subramaniam and others might throw their support behind Muthupalaniappan at the last minute if the challenge is allowed to proceed beyond nomination to actual contest and balloting.
"They want to knock me out now, at the branch election level so that I cannot challenge Samy Vellu," Muthupalaniappan said referring to the Feb 7 date for branches to hold their elections, the 1st stage of the MIC election process.
Only a branch chairman who has the endorsement of at least 50 branches can contest for president and if suspended, as Muthupalaniappan believes he would be, he is disqualified from contesting as chairman of the Seremban branch of which he has been the chief for the past 25 years.
"If suspended I can't contest as chairman and not being a chairman that would automatically disqualify me from challenging Samy Vellu," Muthupalaniappan said. "This is their plan."
Vadiveloo strenuously denied the accusations, saying Muthupalaniappan was asked to face the inquiry committee by the CWC because of the statement he had made and not because of his challenge.
"All members are subject to the same rules," he said. "Just because you are a challenger does not mean you can disparage the party or its president,' Vadiveloo said.
If suspended Muthupalaniappan can appeal but he remains suspended in the interim period while the CWC hears his appeal, Vadiveloo explained.
Vadiveloo agreed the action against Muthupalaniappan appears as victimization and designed to stop the challenge but "the party will explain to its members" that this was not the case.
No date has been fixed for the president's election but it must be held three months "before the expiry" of the current incumbent's term. Notices of election must be sent out by Feb 28.
Branches hold their elections from Feb 7.
"As you can see there is not much time left for them to neutralize my challenge. That is why they refused all my objections and even refused a three day extension for me to produce witnesses," Muthupalaniappan. "They want to ta pou me speedily."
"It's what the president wants…it's what he gets," Muthupalaniappan told the Malaysian Insider today. "It is so sad, so much injustice, so much terror against party members."
"Why not be a man and have a free and fair fight…what is he afraid off," Muthupalaniappan said.
