KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 – The “two-chiefs disease” that has blighted the PPP and the Makkal Sakti Party has spread to the Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry with council member and former president Datuk V.K.K. Teagarajan claiming that he is the rightful president and not Datuk K.K. Eswaran, who bested him by a one-vote majority in elections last June.
The source of their bitter feud, which is the talk of Indian business circles, may well be politics and not business rivalry.
The origins of the feud is a press statement Eswaran gave soon after winning as president, in which he attacked Hindraf, criticised the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and, in the same breath, praised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The statement did not go down well with some members who are overtly pro-Hindraf, pro-PR and pro-Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Subsequently Eswaran, according to Teagarajan, continued to use the chamber’s name to propagate his political beliefs and promote Najib’s interest over the main role of the chamber, which is to help and promote Indian businessmen.
Eswaran also allegedly, and on numerous occasions, made political statements favourable to Barisan Nasional.
However, critics say that Teagarajan, who was once an MIC and BN supporter, had also done the same when he was president.
Teagarajan countered, however, that he had never put politics above chamber matters or interests.
He told The Malaysian Insider that he might close one path and open another, politically speaking.
“I keep my options open,” he said when asked if he was considering joining a PR party.
The Najib-Anwar rivalry is notably causing a major split in the Indian chamber, because many of its members are openly backing Hindraf and PR.
According to Teagarajan, members were put off by Eswaran’s alleged “blatant” disregard for the rules and interest of the chamber, his alleged disregard for the ROS directives and “arrogance” and disruptive way of running the chamber.
“His arrogant way of way management has alienated many chamber members,” Teagarajan claimed.
He also claimed that Eswaran failed to hold a special delegates conference, as directed by the ROS on Sept 9 last year.
“He also failed to convene the annual delegates’ conference for 2009 by June 30 last year and got an extension until Dec 30 but also failed to convene in that time,” Teagarajan said,
Teagarajan said that seven out of the 12 state chambers held a special meeting on Oct 5 last year and formed an interim committee to organise a special delegate’s conference.
The conference was held on Jan 11 and during which Teagarajan claims he was elected president.
Eswaran could not be contacted but the Sunday Star quoted him as saying the Jan 11 meeting was illegal and that he had the backing of 58 of the 72 chamber delegates.
He also said the ROS had been informed of the decision to postpone the conference.
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