KUALA LUMPUR: Strategic alliances with political parties from other countries, including India’s ruling Congress Party, are a possibility, said Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) youth advisor, S. Vell Paari (pic),  yesterday.

According to Vell Paari, discussions with a key leader of India’s Congress Party and Member of Parliament, V. Narayanasamy, were held in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu recently.

FOUR MIC members yesterday defended their actions before the party disciplinary committee that accused them of tarnishing the party’s image at its recently concluded annual general meeting (AGM).

P. Subramaniam, who failed in his bid for vice-presidency, along with two deafeated Central Working Committee (CWC) candidates N. Subramaniam and Saaran Nadarajah faced a full disciplinary committee, chaired by Tan Sri K.S. Nijar.

OUTSPOKEN woman lawyer Saraswathy Kandasamy and two others are expected to be the first MIC members to be sacked from the party after its recent elections for breach of discipline.

The trio, all strong allies of defeated deputy presidential candidate Datuk S. Subramaniam, will appear individually before the party’s disciplinary committee today – and the lady is not about to go down without a fight.

FULL STORY IN MALAY MAIL PRINT COPY TODAY

IT is unfair to blame the MIC for the Barisan Nasional's (BN) defeats in many seats in the 2008 general election as the party is only a "minority" which could not have brought the downfall of the coalition, MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel said.

"On accusations that MIC had failed the Indians and that is why we lost many seats in the last general election, may I say that we are only a minority and how can we alone bring the fall of the strong BN governments in Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor.

MAJU Institute of Educational Development (MIED) founder member Tan Sri K.S. Nijhar says about 200 meetings have been held to date involving all 33 members of the MIC education arm’s board.

The former MIC treasurer-general said the meetings were held together with the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) meetings.

 

Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED)'s 33 life members hav enot had a single official meeting since the incorporation of the MIC's education arm 25 years ago.MIED's life members also alleged that the RM500 million contracts to build the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology University in Kedah was given without a single board meeting

 

FULL STORY IN MALAY MAIL PRINT COPY TODAY

DESPITE all the talk about rebranding the Malaysian Indian Congress’ (MIC), the new line-up for the Central Working Committee saw little changes.

Many of the committee members were re-elected, as the party saw no changes right from the top. Klang MIC deputy chief M. Karunanidhi, when asked to comment, was clearly irked and disappointed with those who have been appointed by party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

THE MIC’s apparent nervousness in taking disciplinary action against its former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam has been described by his supporters as: “drama”, “dirty tactic”, “annoyance”, and “sinister”.

They would have preferred if Subramaniam’s alleged indiscipline had been discussed at the first meeting of the new Central Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday.

FEW things in life are certain, they say: death, taxes and Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu’s febrile temperament. The MIC is intrinsically uncertain and the party president is emerging as a feeble figure.

The MIC’s timidity in not taking action against former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam and two of his supporters for tarnishing the image of the party in the lead up to the recent party polls is unprecedented.

DESPITE the seeming disarray in the Indian political landscape, Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) leaders remain optimistic about the future of the community.

Their fiery spirit of nationalism is strongly felt and projected. They believe in standing and fighting for what is right.