MIC president S Samy Vellu once again stressed that his relationship with his deputy, S Subramaniam, is good, according to a Bernama report.

"We have no problem, our ties are good and he sits beside me," he said when asked to comment on rumours that Subramaniam was not invited to the Thaipusam celebration in Batu Caves today.

Asked for his comments, Subramaniam, who was with Samy Vellu at the news conference after the event, replied in similar vein saying that his relationship with Samy Vellu was still good and there was no problem.

"I've been coming here for over 20 years but the invitation this year arrived a bit late, probably due to some reason" said Subramaniam who has been the MIC deputy president for over 20 years.

True teachings

In his speech, Samy Vellu called on Hindus in the country to be strong in their faith to appreciate the true teachings of the religion.

"We live in a multiracial society. We must safeguard our interests and know the limits when conducting our activities and we don't want to undermine unity in the country," he added.