Friday March 24, 2006
MIC probes RM3m payout
By A. LETCHUMANAN
KUALA LUMPUR: An MIC division chairman in Penang has allegedly spent more than RM3mil over the last five years on activities aimed at winning posts in the party, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.
He said yesterday that nominations for the division had been postponed pending a clean-up exercise to be undertaken by the MIC headquarters.
Speaking to reporters after chairing the party’s central working committee meeting here, Samy Vellu said it had been found that a certain individual in the division had paid for the membership fees for nine branches to gain their support.
“Our investigations have shown that nine of the 16 branches in the division were not eligible to have their meetings as they did not have the required 100 members each,” he said.
He said the MIC had also decided to annul the elections of the Teluk Intan division after there was evidence of money being handed out to gain the support of the delegates.
Samy Vellu said both the division in Penang and the one in Teluk Intan would have their nominations, as well as annual general meetings, before the MIC general assembly on June 24.
“There were also complaints against the Tambun, Kluang, Pagoh and Teluk Kemang divisions but there was no evidence of money politics,'' he added.
Samy Vellu also said the decision by the disciplinary committee to expel N. Irudiyanathan from the Ipoh Timur branch for working against party interest had been endorsed by the CWC.
The party president warned that stern action would be taken against those who were found guilty of money politics in the run-up to the division polls in Kedah and Selangor over the weekend.
“If there are reports, I will not hesitate to sack them and then initiate investigations.
“The MIC is not a party for the rich but a party committed to uplifting the living standards of the poor in the country,” he said.
To a question, he said the party had received complaints against six of the 76 divisions that had already held their meetings, and action was taken against two divisions.
He said there had been greater interest in the party and keen contest was expected for the main party posts in June.
“There were some branch chairmen who had been inactive for the past two years but now want to contest posts in the divisions,” he noted.
Commenting on reports that non-MIC assemblymen were campaigning in the division polls, Samy Vellu said there was nothing wrong for someone to praise another person.
It was only an offence if the person canvassed for votes from the delegates.
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