MIC strategy director S Vell Paari has called on the government to charge those responsible for the Cameron Highlands mud floods, which killed five, including a 13-year-old student, with manslaughter.

“This has to stop. No more knee-jerk reactions and rhetoric. There must be concrete actions.

“Those responsible must face the music. The government should consider charging the culprits for manslaughter, which would serve as a stern deterrent,” he said in a statement.

Vell Paari said those who contributed to the tragedy must also be hauled to court.

According to him, this included politicians or officials on the take as well as those lackadaisical about enforcement.

“There must be no cover-up. Heads must roll. Or else the five would have died in vain,” he added.

The MIC leader cited two reports in the New Straits Times which he termed as “disturbing”.

The reports concerned the Pahang state government’s admission that not enough was done to curb illegal land clearing in Cameron Highlands and that rampant corruption was to be blamed for the floods.

On this note, Vell Paari (left) lauded Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement that the federal government would end corrupt practices, the influx of illegal immigrants and illegal land clearing by farmers in Cameron Highlands.

On the same note, he also urged MIC president G Palanivel, who is the Cameron Highlands MP as well as minister of natural resources and environment, to form a panel to probe the incident.

He said the panel should comprise independent experts.