Five in MIC suspended for ‘coup attempt’
Published: Mar 19, 2015 8:13 AM | Updated: Mar 19, 2015 8:55 AM
Embattled MIC president G Palanivel has suspended five members who allegedly laid siege to the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on March 12.
Embattled MIC president G Palanivel has suspended five members who allegedly laid siege to the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on March 12.
He said a member of the MIC headquarters staff was attacked in the ‘coup attempt’ which allegedly resulted in the premises being shut down for six days.
"These individuals went to the extent of assaulting a member of the MIC headquarters staff, as well as threatening and intimidating other staff.
The staff were forced to leave the building and the day-to-day operations of the MIC headquarters came to a halt," he said in statement today.
"I have exercised my powers under the MIC constitution to suspend five members of MIC for their direct involvement in such activities detrimental to the interest of the party," he added.
Palanivel also warned others involved in the alleged coup to cease such activities, or risk being suspended as well.
It is unclear who the five suspended members are, and Malaysiakini's attempts to contact Palanivel's press secretary have been unsuccessful.
Interim chief ‘has no power’
MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh however claims the alleged incident did not happen at all.
"There wasn't any event as he (Palanivel) claimed. If someone laid siege to the headquarters, (how did) they openly walk in and out (of the building) since Monday?" he told Malaysiakini today when contacted.
A Facebook posting by Sivarraajh yesterday (right) purportedly shows Palanivel at his office in the building during the said siege.
Sivarraajh also told Malaysiakini that Palanivel does not have the authority to suspend anyone in the party at the moment, pending the MIC re-election.
"He has no power vested under him by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) in the interim committee to sack or appoint anyone.
“How can he suspend or exercise his presidential power when he is not the elected president?
"He is just the interim president to oversee the party re-election," Sivaraajh said.
The MIC, which has been in a leadership crisis for months, has been ordered by the RoS to hold party re-elections.
Palanivel's camp, however, has filed a judicial review to challenge the RoS directive.
He said a member of the MIC headquarters staff was attacked in the ‘coup attempt’ which allegedly resulted in the premises being shut down for six days.
"These individuals went to the extent of assaulting a member of the MIC headquarters staff, as well as threatening and intimidating other staff.
The staff were forced to leave the building and the day-to-day operations of the MIC headquarters came to a halt," he said in statement today."I have exercised my powers under the MIC constitution to suspend five members of MIC for their direct involvement in such activities detrimental to the interest of the party," he added.
Palanivel also warned others involved in the alleged coup to cease such activities, or risk being suspended as well.
It is unclear who the five suspended members are, and Malaysiakini's attempts to contact Palanivel's press secretary have been unsuccessful.
Interim chief ‘has no power’
MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh however claims the alleged incident did not happen at all.
"There wasn't any event as he (Palanivel) claimed. If someone laid siege to the headquarters, (how did) they openly walk in and out (of the building) since Monday?" he told Malaysiakini today when contacted.
A Facebook posting by Sivarraajh yesterday (right) purportedly shows Palanivel at his office in the building during the said siege.Sivarraajh also told Malaysiakini that Palanivel does not have the authority to suspend anyone in the party at the moment, pending the MIC re-election.
"He has no power vested under him by the Registrar of Societies (RoS) in the interim committee to sack or appoint anyone.
“How can he suspend or exercise his presidential power when he is not the elected president?
"He is just the interim president to oversee the party re-election," Sivaraajh said.
The MIC, which has been in a leadership crisis for months, has been ordered by the RoS to hold party re-elections.
Palanivel's camp, however, has filed a judicial review to challenge the RoS directive.
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