There are claims that ineligible candidates and even bankrupts were allowed to contest and win in division polls with the “hidden hand” of top MIC leaders.
PETALING JAYA: Certain MIC party leaders have manipulated the outcome of the division polls, said a party source.
This was following allegations that the winners are not even eligible to contest in their division elections.
A senior party leader told FMT that the leadership’s decision to uphold the election results for the posts of Kota Raja division chairman and Petaling Jaya Selatan youth chief had created unhappiness among party members.
It is reported that Taman Maznah branch chairman S Sandirashegran, is elected as the new chairman for Kota Raja division after defeating incumbent RS Maniam in a straight fight.
While in Petaling Jaya Selatan, A Premnath, the party youth wing deputy secretary, was elected as division youth leader after his opponent pulled out as a sign of protest.
A veteran leader from Selangor, who wish not to be named, claimed that both Sandirashegran and Premnath are not qualified to contest.
According to him, Sandirashegran is alleged to be a bankrupt since 2010, while Premnath does not meet the criteria set in the party constitution.
The source also forwarded a set of documents to FMT via email to prove his allegations.
The documents, dated Oct 4, 2013, shows Sandirashegran, who is better known as “Taman Maznah” Sandiran, was declared a bankrupt by the Department of Insolvency on Jan 19, 2010.
“Article 93 of the party’s constitution reads that under the Registration of Criminals Act, 1967, a party member who is declared as bankrupt is prohibited from contesting any post in the party elections,” said the source.
“Thus, Sandiran is not eligible to contest. But, a ‘hidden hand’ helped him to contest,” he added.
When contacted, Sandiran claimed that he has settled his debt. However, he said he wondered why the Insolvency Department had not update his status.
“I will pursue this matter legally,” he told FMT.
‘I am qualified’
In Premnath’s case, he was not eligible to contest the division youth chairman post as he did not meet the criteria. The candidate for division youth chief must hold a branch youth leader’s post for at least one full term.
But the documents provided to FMT indicates that Premnath has not held any post since joining MIC, until he transferred his membership from Selayang to the Petaling Jaya Selatan division.
“He joined MIC before 2008, in deputy minister P Kamalanathan’s branch as an ordinary member. However, later he transferred his membership to Petaling Jaya Selatan,” said the insider.
“A check on the list of 2009-2012 for the youth membership also shows that he has not served as branch youth chief for one full term. Hence, he is not qualified to contest in the elections,” added the party insider.
The source also urged party secretary-general A Sakthivel to come out in the open and clarify the allegations.
When contacted, Premnath dismissed claims that he was ineligible to contest for the division youth post, stressing that he was a MIC branch leader in the last term, from 2010 to 2013.
“I was the deputy youth leader for the Petaling Jaya Barat MIC branch in the previous term. Based on party regulations, a deputy youth leader or the youth leader is eligible to contest for division youth leadership,” he said.
He also cited Article 44.1 of the party constitution to support his case.
Article 44.1 reads: “Only members of the division youth council and delegates to the divisional youth delegates’ conference shall be eligible to stand for election for in the mentioned in by-laws 43.2 and 43.3. Provided, however, that candidates desiring to contest for the post of divisional youth leader must have served as branch youth leader or branch deputy youth leader for at least one full term (three years)
Premnath said he had also obtained a letter from MIC youth secretary C Sivaraajh to confirm his eligibility to run for the division youth post.
“And if I was not qualified, my nomination papers would not have been accepted during the polls,” he said.
PETALING JAYA: Certain MIC party leaders have manipulated the outcome of the division polls, said a party source.This was following allegations that the winners are not even eligible to contest in their division elections.
A senior party leader told FMT that the leadership’s decision to uphold the election results for the posts of Kota Raja division chairman and Petaling Jaya Selatan youth chief had created unhappiness among party members.
It is reported that Taman Maznah branch chairman S Sandirashegran, is elected as the new chairman for Kota Raja division after defeating incumbent RS Maniam in a straight fight.
While in Petaling Jaya Selatan, A Premnath, the party youth wing deputy secretary, was elected as division youth leader after his opponent pulled out as a sign of protest.
A veteran leader from Selangor, who wish not to be named, claimed that both Sandirashegran and Premnath are not qualified to contest.
According to him, Sandirashegran is alleged to be a bankrupt since 2010, while Premnath does not meet the criteria set in the party constitution.
The source also forwarded a set of documents to FMT via email to prove his allegations.
The documents, dated Oct 4, 2013, shows Sandirashegran, who is better known as “Taman Maznah” Sandiran, was declared a bankrupt by the Department of Insolvency on Jan 19, 2010.
“Article 93 of the party’s constitution reads that under the Registration of Criminals Act, 1967, a party member who is declared as bankrupt is prohibited from contesting any post in the party elections,” said the source.
“Thus, Sandiran is not eligible to contest. But, a ‘hidden hand’ helped him to contest,” he added.
When contacted, Sandiran claimed that he has settled his debt. However, he said he wondered why the Insolvency Department had not update his status.
“I will pursue this matter legally,” he told FMT.
‘I am qualified’
In Premnath’s case, he was not eligible to contest the division youth chairman post as he did not meet the criteria. The candidate for division youth chief must hold a branch youth leader’s post for at least one full term.
But the documents provided to FMT indicates that Premnath has not held any post since joining MIC, until he transferred his membership from Selayang to the Petaling Jaya Selatan division.
“He joined MIC before 2008, in deputy minister P Kamalanathan’s branch as an ordinary member. However, later he transferred his membership to Petaling Jaya Selatan,” said the insider.
“A check on the list of 2009-2012 for the youth membership also shows that he has not served as branch youth chief for one full term. Hence, he is not qualified to contest in the elections,” added the party insider.
The source also urged party secretary-general A Sakthivel to come out in the open and clarify the allegations.
When contacted, Premnath dismissed claims that he was ineligible to contest for the division youth post, stressing that he was a MIC branch leader in the last term, from 2010 to 2013.
“I was the deputy youth leader for the Petaling Jaya Barat MIC branch in the previous term. Based on party regulations, a deputy youth leader or the youth leader is eligible to contest for division youth leadership,” he said.
He also cited Article 44.1 of the party constitution to support his case.
Article 44.1 reads: “Only members of the division youth council and delegates to the divisional youth delegates’ conference shall be eligible to stand for election for in the mentioned in by-laws 43.2 and 43.3. Provided, however, that candidates desiring to contest for the post of divisional youth leader must have served as branch youth leader or branch deputy youth leader for at least one full term (three years)
Premnath said he had also obtained a letter from MIC youth secretary C Sivaraajh to confirm his eligibility to run for the division youth post.
“And if I was not qualified, my nomination papers would not have been accepted during the polls,” he said.
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