The MIC has been ordered by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to hold its party elections in May this year, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

ROS last Friday issued a definitive letter ordering MIC to conduct re-elections for all its branches, wings, divisions and its central leadership.

ROS also listed down the stipulated deadlines for MIC to hold the re-elections for each post, with election for the president’s post to be held in May.

The rest of the re-election process has to be concluded by July, Zahid (right) said.

“If MIC refuses to comply with this order, its registration could be cancelled,” Zahid firmly said at a special press conference on the MIC imbroglio in Putrajaya today.

The ROS had previously ordered MIC to re-elect only its Central Working Committee (CWC) and vice-presidents, following allegations of irregularities in the party's 2013 elections.
 
But ROS changed its stance to order a complete re-election after finding that there was "basis" to complaints by some MIC members regarding ineligible branches voting in the 2013 elections.
 
According to the party constitution, branches formed in the same year as the election year can't have delegates voting in the central elections, but this was breached in 2013.
 
"This is a serious matter, and the ROS has found that these new complaints about the branches that came in after the initial directive (in December) were with basis," Ahmad Zahid said.
 
Hence, the party had been advised to revert to its 2009 CWC line-up as an interim CWC which will then form a committee to oversee the new round of party elections.
 
The 2009 CWC was appointed at a time when S Samy Vellu (left) was still the president of the party.
 
The minister's declaration also renders null and void president G Palanivel's recent appointments to key positions in the party, including a new secretary-general.
 
Any such appointments must be endorsed by the CWC and ROS has said that the 2013 CWC is not recognised, meaning that it can't endorse such appointments.