Palanivel: Only a few are telling me to quit

 

Amid the chaos outside the party headquarters, MIC president G Palanivel has brushed aside talk of him resigning.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting this evening, he said only a small number of people were calling for his resignation.

"All that is nothing, only a few people are saying that," he added.
                  
Since the Registrar of Societies (ROS) directed MIC to hold a re-election, Palanivel has been faced with calls to step down.

Palanivel also said that he and his deputy Dr S Subramaniam would meet the ROS next week to clarify the matter.

"Subramaniam and I will meet ROS next week to seek clarification on its directive. We will also be meeting with Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"The party must move forward. We do not want to be de-registered. That is the most important thing," he added.

The Cameron Highlands MP also explained that the meeting held today was not an emergency Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting, as touted earlier.

He said it was a management meeting, which included state leaders, to discuss the ROS directive.

Previously, Palanivel's opponents objected to an emergency CWC meeting on the grounds that the ROS had already nullified the committee.

Hence, they said decisions made at the meeting would be considered void.

In view of this, former CWC members were also allowed to join the meeting.

Former Youth chief T Mohan, MIC Puteri chief J Usha Nandhini, MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh and party strategic director S Vell Paari were allowed into the meeting to join the current crop of CWC members who were elected in the 2013 party election.

Palanivel also said a special committee would be formed, comprising 10 people from the current CWC and the opposition faction to further investigate the allegations by ROS.

However, he refused to comment on what the special committee would discuss.

"That I cannot tell you. It is private and confidential," he said when quizzed by reporters.

Palanivel said a decision would be made soon as ROS had given the party 90 days to respond to its directive to hold a fresh polls.

Meanwhile, following a separate meeting, Mohan, who is part of the opposition faction, said that they would be giving the president the benefit of the doubt.

"Let them talk to ROS first and let's see what the outcome is. However, we still want a re-election because there have been numerous discrepancies in the previous polls," he added.