Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email So, looks like the truth is that Sooriyanarayanan has a corruption case coming soon. That’s why he was dropped in favor of Murukasvary. As for the two parliment candidates – Saravanan and Vigneswaran who both are facing civil lawsuits, the party don’t think of it as a serious issue. Wonder if the voters will think the same too.
Anyway, its a good spin by Samy Vellu citing the influence and capability of Wanita MIC as reason for changing the candidates.
MIC candidates: One replaced, more to go?
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/78516
K Kabilan | Feb 23, 08 4:40pm
With barely 24 hours left for nomination day, several new candidates from MIC are keeping their fingers crossed that ‘hidden dirt’ about them would not surface to scupper their chance of contesting in the general election. As it is, party president S Samy Vellu has already made a last-minute change by dropping his first-choice candidate for the Tenggaroh state seat in Johor M Soorianarayanan yesterday. The MIC Teberau Johor chairperson, only named as the candidate on Feb 20, was replaced by MIC Johor Wanita chief T Murukasvary.
Samy Vellu said that the decision was made due to requests from Wanita MIC members who wanted a woman candidate. Samy Vellu, who would be contesting to defend his Sungai Siput seat, added that he had received complaints from Johor MIC Wanita via SMS and telephones. “In the general election women will play an important role in realising the Barisan Nasional’s success,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama today.
The real reason
However according to sources there is another reason for the last minute dropping of Soorianarayanan. It is learnt that he is under the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigations, and whose file has been sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for the next course of action. “It is a big case involving criminal breach of trust and it looks like there will be a move made very soon to take action against him,” said a well-placed source. When contacted, a ACA officer refused to comment but conceded that there was an ongoing probe on the matter.
A party leader said the MIC leadership was taken by surprise by the sudden revelation involving Soorianarayanan. “He did not tell the party president anything about the investigation,” said the leader. Soorianarayanan could not be contacted for comment.
The party leader also disclosed that there are a few other candidates for state assemblies who are sweating on allegations about their misdemeanours. “One of them is facing various complaints for cheating businessmen of their money. Some of these businessmen have lodged police reports and the candidate is now waiting to see if Samy Vellu will drop him too,” said a source. Another candidate is in trouble for his links with the underworld, added the source.
However none of the party’s nine candidates for the parliamentary seats are in any danger of being dropped. Previously it was reported that two of the Parliament candidates had separate complaints made against them on their business dealings but the party had dismissed than as ‘civil matters’ after hearing the explanations from the two candidates.
Women under represented
Meanwhile several MIC women leaders when contacted said that while they were happy with the sudden decision to replace Soorianarayanan with Murukasvary, they were nevertheless unhappy that the party had failed to consider more women candidates in the first place. “There are many good women candidates in the party – both at national and state level,” said one woman leader from Selangor. She said that the party had also overlooked the Puteri Wanita wing while naming the candidates. “Puteri chief Usha Nandhini is a capable leader. Why was’t she given a chance? She surely has a better track record than some of the other new faces,” she said.
Contacted, Usha said she respected the party’s decision, but admitted that more women could have been made candidates. However she added that now the task for her movement was to ensure the party’s candidates win their respective seats. “All my girls are very committed and ready for action,” she said.
MIC would be contesting nine parliamentary seats and 19 state seats, involving 14 new faces and one candidate dropped from Parliament to state. Of the total, there are only four women candidates – two incumbents and two new faces
