SAMY VELLU: In a face-off with his No. 2 man

KUALA LUMPUR: The flareup by the normally innocuous MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel, who machine-gunned party chief Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu (pic) in a rare verbal onslaught during the Maju Institute for Education Development (MIED) meeting on Monday, is a strong sign of discontent between the top two, say party leaders.

Some leaders even put it down to a rebellion gaining strength to oust Samy Vellu whose departure from politics is being awaited anxiously by everyone in the MIC and Barisan Nasional.

Now, it appears that one of the main reasons for Samy Vellu refusing to quit — the necessity to "train" Palanivel for leadership — has been "derailed", said a party stalwart.

Some leaders said Palanivel could now be expected to speakup more against Samy Vellu while others said Monday’s unprecedented face-off between the two could push the ailing party to poorer health.

Those who supported Palanivel’s courage to take on Samy Vellu speculated that it was a strong message that he was ready to steer a vessel in stormy waters.

Those who criticised his action said although Palanivel was "pouring out his feelings", he had "recklessly added another major issue to the problem-ridden party".

"It will take more than Palanivel for Samy Vellu to quit," said a leader who requested anonymity.

Many were yesterday still dissecting the 'fallout' between the two leaders that began when MIC vice-president and Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Datuk S. Saravanan asked Samy Vellu why the problems in the MIED were allowed to fester over the years.

Samy Vellu, who is also chairman of the board of trustees of the MIED, the MIC’s education arm, reportedly shot back alleging everyone was against him, even those who were elected to party posts with his help.

He claimed there was a conspiracy against him.

He named the key people who were attacking him from his former deputy Datuk S. Subramaniam to former MIED chief executive officer P. Chitrakala Vasu and others like former treasurer-general Tan Sri M. Mahalingam.

Palanivel was hurt. He fired back saying Chitrakala — who is suing Samy Vellu and who has lodged police reports against him, alleging mismanagement and corruption — was a problem of his own making.

He said Samy Vellu was blaming everyone for "his own mess".

He further claimed Samy Vellu had favoured Subramaniam over other party leaders by "giving him ideas that he can succeed as president".

Palanivel was also upset with the party chief for insinuating that he (Palanivel) won the deputy presidency on Samy Vellu’s strength, claiming that Samy Vellu’s supporters voted for Datuk S. Sothinathan and Subramaniam in the three-cornered fight for the No. 2 post.

He argued that Samy Vellu’s problems were his own making and originated long before the October 2008 MIC election in which Palanivel defeated Subramaniam by a narrow 80 votes.

An angry Palanivel apparently told Samy Vellu that he was a leader of value and was capable of managing the party better than him.

Samy Vellu froze. What else could he do but to make another threat to resign. But that didn’t happen.

All this happened after a 10-minute meeting of the MIED’s first official annual general meeting that approved the accounts for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006. The meeting was attended by 26 out of the 31 members.

Missing were Subramaniam, former MIC Youth leader S. Vigneswaran, Mahalingam, Chitrakala Vasu and Tan Sri Dr K. Ampikaipakan who recently quit his positions in the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology and MIED.