Samy Vellu backs Palanivel for deputy, Sothi won't back down

PUTRAJAYA: MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Wednesday he has endorsed incumbent deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel to defend the party's No 2 post at the MIC elections on Sept 12, but vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan said he will not back down.
Samy Vellu also said that he had endorsed Human Resource Minister and MIC secretary general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, Deputy Federal Territories Minister and MIC information chief Datuk M. Saravanan and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk S. K. Devamany for the three posts of vice-president.
Sothinathan said he will not withdraw from contesting the deputy president post.
“I will contest the post as I have been campaigning since announcing my intention on May 30,” he told Bernama when commenting on Samy Vellu’s decision.
Sothinathan, 49, a former MIC secretary-general and Member of Parliament for Teluk Kemang, said he was confident delegates would vote wisely, adding every member has the right to contest.
The MIC elections on Sept 12 is for a deputy president post, three vice-president posts and 23 Central Working Committee (CWC) members.
At the presidential election in March, Samy Vellu won the post of president, uncontested, for the 11th term.
Palanivel has announced that he would defend the No. 2 post at the party general assembly, which would be attended by 1,400 delegates.
Former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam and incumbent vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan have also announced their intention to contest the deputy presidency.
Many leaders have announced their intention to contest the posts of vice-president.
Two of the incumbent vice-presidents are Sothinathan and Datuk S. Veerasingham. Tan Sri K.S. Nijhar quit as vice-president last year after a tiff with Samy Vellu but both leaders have patched up since.
"I want to announce that I am endorsing Datuk G. Palanivel for the No 2 post because he is a very efficient, strong and simple man of the people. I hope members and delegates will throw their support behind him for continuity.
"I want a team which will deliver and strengthen the party and, as such, I am also endorsing Dr Subramaniam, Saravanan and Devamany for the three vice-president seats," Samy Vellu said.
On the three whom he had endorsed for the posts of vice-president, he said all three were holding government positions and, as such, were in a good position to better serve the Indian community.
Samy Vellu also said that he was drawing up a list of candidates for the 23 CWC posts and that he would endorse "several new faces".
"I will announce the complete list soon. I am announcing my lineup now to inform members and delegates that this is the team that will manage the MIC business more effectively and take the party closer to the community," he said.
Samy Vellu also said that he had taken care of the party over the last 29 years and had built it from just 120,000 members to 630,000 members and from 700 branches to 3,300 branches nationwide.
"All this was possible through constructive team effort which I established amongst my top office bearers.
"I feel that as a leader I have a responsibility to hand over the party to the right person. I have been giving it a lot of thought during the last two months as to how I want to conduct the elections and I have concluded that I will support the team which will support the MIC for a better future," he said. - Bernama

tunku : it looks like sothi is no more blue eyed boy for samy.he did not mention sothi's name even for vice president post.saravanan in his list now.till this dictator still ruling mic, mic will not get full support from the indian community.samy should be thrown out, he is rotten and making the whole party rots with him.