Kayveas picks replacement for deputy minister Murugiah
S PathmawathyPublished: May 13, 2009 10:39 AM | Updated: May 13, 2009 11:30 AM
Even before out-of-favour T Murugiah is dropped as a member of PPP's supreme council, party boss M Kayveas has picked a replacement to fill his post as deputy minister.
Even before out-of-favour T Murugiah is dropped as a member of PPP's supreme council, party boss M Kayveas has picked a replacement to fill his post as deputy minister.
Kayveas (right) told Malaysiakini today that vice-president Maglin D'Cruz is next in-line for the cabinet post.
It would have been senior vice-president Lee Heng, but he had lost the Pasir Berdemar state seat to DAP's Seah Leong Peng in the general election last March.
“PPP has decided to follow the hierarchy... I had lost my seat (during the election) and another senior member (Lee) in the party lost his too. So we will give it the person who is next in line,” said Kayveas.
“We have learnt our lesson.... if you don't follow the hierarchy, this is what happens.”
He said he would not name a person who had lost in last year's general election.
D'Cruz (left), who has been member for 12 years but did not contest in the general election, said he is prepared to serve the people, if appointed to the post.
Murugiah, a senator and a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, stands accused being involved in money politics. He could not be reached for comment.
The party is expected sack Murugiah from the PPP as early as Saturday when the supreme council is scheduled to meet, if not during the party polls on June 7.
However, his removal is being seen as a reaction to the possibility that he may challenge Kayveas for the presidency.
Murugiah was appointed a senator after the general election last year by then premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as all PPP leaders who contested the election had lost.
Kayveas himself failed to defend the Taiping parliamentary seat, which went to DAP's Nga Kor Ming.
PPP subsequently submitted five names to the prime minister, as each party in the Barisan Nasional coalition is given a number of slots in the cabinet and in the government.
When Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak took over last month, Murugiah was retained both as senator and deputy minister in charge of the Public Complaints Bureau (PCB).
However, if D'Cruz is to be appointed deputy minister, he will have to take over Murugiah's senatorship as well.
‘Murugiah overly ambitious’
Kayveas alleged that Murugiah has become “overly ambitious” and that he no longer respects the leadership.
For instance, he said, Murugiah (right) has not been attending party meetings or brief the party on decisions made at cabinet meetings.
Kayveas conceded, though, that Murugiah had “started off well as he had many ideas to make the PBC better but along the way he become rather conceited”.
“He has become so high and mighty that he does not even answer my calls,” he said, noting that the situation has snowballed and led to the rift between him and Murugiah.
“And then there was news that he was offering projects to state chairmen without the knowledge of the party leadership. He makes all sorts of promises but he does not discuss his plans with us and he does not tell us how he plans to achieve the promises he has made to people.
“For instance, he promises to give land to poor people. But if he is not able to fulfil his promises early enough, it would (reflect badly on) the party... no one will want to join us because our deputy minister did not fulfil his tasks.”
Kayveas brushed aside talk that the decision to give Murugiah the boot is because of the challenge to the presidency.
“I told the supreme council members that if anyone wants to contest for the (president's) post, they can do it without fear because I don't want PPP to be like other parties,” he claimed.
Kayveas (right) told Malaysiakini today that vice-president Maglin D'Cruz is next in-line for the cabinet post.It would have been senior vice-president Lee Heng, but he had lost the Pasir Berdemar state seat to DAP's Seah Leong Peng in the general election last March.
“PPP has decided to follow the hierarchy... I had lost my seat (during the election) and another senior member (Lee) in the party lost his too. So we will give it the person who is next in line,” said Kayveas.
“We have learnt our lesson.... if you don't follow the hierarchy, this is what happens.”
He said he would not name a person who had lost in last year's general election.
D'Cruz (left), who has been member for 12 years but did not contest in the general election, said he is prepared to serve the people, if appointed to the post.Murugiah, a senator and a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, stands accused being involved in money politics. He could not be reached for comment.
The party is expected sack Murugiah from the PPP as early as Saturday when the supreme council is scheduled to meet, if not during the party polls on June 7.
However, his removal is being seen as a reaction to the possibility that he may challenge Kayveas for the presidency.
Murugiah was appointed a senator after the general election last year by then premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as all PPP leaders who contested the election had lost.
Kayveas himself failed to defend the Taiping parliamentary seat, which went to DAP's Nga Kor Ming.
PPP subsequently submitted five names to the prime minister, as each party in the Barisan Nasional coalition is given a number of slots in the cabinet and in the government.
When Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak took over last month, Murugiah was retained both as senator and deputy minister in charge of the Public Complaints Bureau (PCB).
However, if D'Cruz is to be appointed deputy minister, he will have to take over Murugiah's senatorship as well.
‘Murugiah overly ambitious’
Kayveas alleged that Murugiah has become “overly ambitious” and that he no longer respects the leadership.
For instance, he said, Murugiah (right) has not been attending party meetings or brief the party on decisions made at cabinet meetings.Kayveas conceded, though, that Murugiah had “started off well as he had many ideas to make the PBC better but along the way he become rather conceited”.
“He has become so high and mighty that he does not even answer my calls,” he said, noting that the situation has snowballed and led to the rift between him and Murugiah.
“And then there was news that he was offering projects to state chairmen without the knowledge of the party leadership. He makes all sorts of promises but he does not discuss his plans with us and he does not tell us how he plans to achieve the promises he has made to people.
“For instance, he promises to give land to poor people. But if he is not able to fulfil his promises early enough, it would (reflect badly on) the party... no one will want to join us because our deputy minister did not fulfil his tasks.”
Kayveas brushed aside talk that the decision to give Murugiah the boot is because of the challenge to the presidency.
“I told the supreme council members that if anyone wants to contest for the (president's) post, they can do it without fear because I don't want PPP to be like other parties,” he claimed.
View Comments0