Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email After condemning his boss, and subsequently making a police report on Samy, Alex ups the ante by openly declaring his intention to challenge the president for the throne.
However, history has shown that challengers disappear from politics, except Dato Subra and Jumbo Maniam who are still around. Alex will try to run on the anti-Samy wave and hope to cause an upset. Or possibly try to get Subra to come out and go for it. I don’t forsee any non-elected MPs bar Dato Subra having a sliver of chance against Samy.
KUALA LUMPUR: The race for the MIC party president has begun with MIC Klang division chief’s decision to contest.
P. Thiagarasan, 54, or better known as Alex Thiagarasan, told the New Straits Times yesterday that he was vying for the post held for the past 29 years by Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.“I think that I’m worthy of the president’s post. But, if there is a better candidate, then I would make way for the person. I will instead vie for the deputy or vice-president’s post,” he said.
Thiagarasan, who unsuccessfully contested a vice-president’s post in the last party election, also called for abolishing the quota system of getting nominations from at least 300 branch chiefs to make a bid for the party’s presidency.
He said there must be a concerted attempt to unseat Samy Vellu if he had not gone by the next election, which was not due until next March.
Thiagarasan, who was formerly a People’s Progressive Party Selangor chief in 1997, left with nearly 24,000 members and joined the MIC two years later following a dispute with PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas.Among those who have contested against Samy Vellu for the party’s presidency include Y. Thomas, former MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam, Kapar division chairman S. Subramaniam, better known as Jumbo Maniam and former Lobak branch chairman R. Vellasamy.
