Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Not sure how reliable the news from Bernama is, but here it goes as reported by MK: Samy supports Palanivel to defend his post, and subsequently replace Samy as president next year.
MIC deputy president G Palanivel has received the backing of S Samy Vellu to defend his post at the party polls in September and eventually succeed the latter as president.
According to Bernama, a senior state MIC leader revealed that the former women, family and community development deputy minister had received the blessings of Samy Vellu.
The president, he said, endorsed Palanivel for deputy president last week at a meeting with several senior MIC state leaders and had informed his decision to vice-president S Sothinathan and Human Resources Minister and MIC secretary-general Dr S Subramaniam.
Sothinathan was earlier widely tipped to receive Samy Vellu’s backing for the party number two post, following the MIC president’s “stormy” relationship with 58-year-old Palanivel over the last year.
However, it is learnt that the president’s decision favouring Palanivel was expected, taking into account the age and experience of the journalist-turned-politician in leading the party.
“The president also felt that Palanivel, had the humanity, close contact with the grassroots and various other qualities to take helm of the party after he retires,” said the leader who did not want to be named.
Palanivel could not be contacted for comment.
Samy Vellu after winning the presidential election uncontested in March, this year, had declared that this would be his last term and whoever picked as deputy president at the party election would take over the leadership of the 630,000-member party after his retirement from active politics.However, many had expected Samy Vellu’s decision to favour Palanivel especially with the “close relations” the two leaders are enjoying presently.
Prior to the presidential election, Samy Vellu told a closed-door gathering of party division leaders from Selangor at a hotel, here, that his relationship with Palanivel, fondly known as “GP” in the party circles was akin to the relationship of a husband and wife.
“In a husband-wife relationship there are bound to be fights and disagreements but this does not mean that we have to divorce. That would not make a happy marriage. My relationship with Palanivel is the same. We are like a husband and wife team,” Samy Vellu was said to have told the division leaders.
