Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Race on to be candidate in Ijok http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/4/8/nation/17382446&sec=nation
By A. LETCHUMANAN and WANI MUTHIAH
KLANG: The clamouring has started among MIC members aspiring to be the candidate in the up-coming Ijok by-election, causing information chief M. Saravanan to warn them against pressuring the leadership.
“Pressure will not go down well with the leadership,” he said, adding that party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu will evaluate all prospective candidates.
He added that Samy Vellu knew who, among the hopefuls, had served the community well or otherwise.
“Given this, they (the hopefuls) should leave it to the party to pick the most suitable candidate,” said Saravanan.
Speculation has begun on the potential candidate for the Ijok state seat, which fell vacant following the death of Selangor MIC deputy chairman Datuk K. Sivalingam.
Although the date of the by-election and the nomination day have yet to be fixed by the Election Commission, some Tamil and Chinese newspapers have already reported on the likely candidates.
Among the names mentioned are MIC Youth social and welfare bureau chairman T. Mohan, who is known for his philanthropic work and said to be in the president’s good books.
Another possible candidate is former Youth secretary S. Murugesan, who was voted into the party’s central working committee last May despite a fall-out with Youth chief S.A. Vigneswaran.
Three-term Shah Alam city councillor R.S. Maniam is also regarded as a prospective candidate.
Sivalingam, 61, died of a heart attack in Chennai, India, on Wednesday.
