Malaysia: MIC struggles with infighting, PM calls for introspection

With bickering and leadership squabbles continuing to plague Malaysia's largest ethnic Indians-based political party, Prime Minister Najib Razak has asked party chief to stop blaming others for the woes of Malaysian Indian Congress.

Party chief G Palanivel told thousands of supporters on Saturday that Najib and the ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional "got involved in pressuring MIC to reject the 2013 election results". "He should stop blaming others and must abide by the decision of the courts and Registrar of Societies (RoS)" Najib tweeted on Sunday referring to Palanivel.

The High Court on June 16 dismissed two judicial review applications filed by Palanivel and others in relation to the RoS directive for the party to hold fresh elections. It upheld the RoS directive for the party to hold re-elections at all levels (branches and divisions) including the president's post.

MIC is in disarray at the moment, with two rival factions claiming to be in-charge of the party.

Meanwhile, deputy president S Subramaniam declared that Palanivel no longer held any position nor was he an MIC member. He said party elections for all posts would be held in July.

In the midst of all this, Palanivel has said MIC will adhere to the RoS call to hold fresh elections. The MIC president's response comes after Najib asked him to abide by the decision of the courts and the RoS.

"When I talked to him on Friday, he said to go for fresh elections...I will go for fresh elections," Palanivel told The Star Online.

Palanivel was elected as MIC president in the party's 2013 polls. His status in the party however is in limbo, after deputy president Dr S Subramaniam's camp moved to sack Palanivel for seeking legal redress which in this case, against the RoS without referring to the party's central working committee as per Article 91 of the party's constitution.

Meanwhile, MIC vice president M Saravanan asked Najib to strip Palanivel of his cabinet post immediately and alleged that he was suffering from "mental illness". "Send him for psychiatric treatment. He is a mental fellow with serious mental disorder," he was quoted by local media as saying.