Malaysian Indian politician Pandithan dead

MG Pandithan, the president of the Indian Progressive Front and parliamentary secretary to the trade and industry ministry, died after prolonged illness.

Malaysian Indian politician M.G. Pandithan, the president of the Indian Progressive Front (IPF), died on Wednesday after prolonged illness.

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Pandithan, a former MP and parliamentary secretary to the trade and industry ministry, died at 8.20 am.

One-time vice-president of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), the largest party of ethnic Indians, Pandithan fell out with party chief S. Samy Vellu in 1988 and was later sacked. He then floated the IPF.

"Pandithan and Vellu remained adversaries for long and only resolved their differences last year," The Star newspaper said on its website.

Pandithan is survived by his wife Jayashree and 21-year-old son Jeyan, who is studying medicine in Ukraine.

From his hospital bed last week, Pandithan named Jayashree his successor in the IPF, declaring her the acting president. "This led to some dissent within the party," the newspaper said.