Palanivel to look after Public Complaints Bureau

The newly appointed MIC Minister says the Public Complaints Bureau has a critical and serious role to play in govt administration.

KUALA LUMPUR: The newly appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department G Palanivel has been given the he Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) portfolio.

Speaking after a thanksgiving dinner at the MIC headquarters last night, Palanivel, who is also MIC president, said the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) and the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) is also included in his new portfolio.

“I  will also be in-charge of a special functions unit. However, I can only reveal details about the unit in two weeks time as I’m still adjusting to my new role,” said Palanivel.

Last month, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that Palanivel, the-then Plantation Industries and Commodities deputy minister, would be made a full minister during the MIC annual general meeting.
He was then sworn-in in August 9.

Palanivel said he went for briefing session on PCB  functions and found out that the bureau receives approximately 14,000 complaints yearly on various issues.

“So I need to do a lot of study on it. For example, I need to identify which are the serious complaints so that I can look into it as the minor ones can be handled by the officers ,” said Palanivel.

He added that he was also considering ways to improve its current outreach programme to allow more people to come forward with their grouses.

When said that the PCB was handled by a deputy minister (T Murugiah) previously, Palanivel retorted by saying although it was handled by Murugiah then,  the bureau itself was under the purview of a fellow minister, Koh Tsu Koon.

“And it is a serious and a critical role. I still need advise from  Najib on how to go about it,” he said.
Meanwhile, asked on his performance as the  MIC supremo so far, Palanivel said that he is  good leader.
“I’m a good leader as I’m  good to all. Just dealing with some minor distractions,” said Palanivel without elaborating.

In Dec 2010, its-then long serving party president S Samy Vellu stepped down to make way for Palanivel to helm the Barisan Nasional component party.

Since then, Palanivel has embarked on an amnesty programme, allowing former members and defunct party branches to be reinstated in a bid to unite the Indian community under the MIC flag.