Samy Vellu dithers on quit date

(theStar) – MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu still refused to put a date on when he would quit his post, saying he would hand over the presidency at “an appropriate time.” His successor would be whoever is elected deputy president in the party elections in September, he said.

“As I have stated earlier, my mission now is to strengthen the party and then hand it over to the (soon-to-be-elected) deputy president,” he said when asked to comment on a frontpage report in a Tamil daily saying that he may relinquish his post in the third quarter of this year.

However, Samy Vellu said he had not set a specific timeframe yet and would consult party members first before deciding when to call it a day.

“I want to hand over a stable and united party to my successor at the right time,” he said.

The MIC will hold its triennial elections for the post of deputy president, three vice-presidents and Central Working Committee (CWC) members in September.

The current deputy president is Datuk G. Palanivel. Those expected to contest the post include former deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam, vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan and Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

The MIC presidential election is held separately, possibly in May or June. Samy Vellu has announced that he would defend the post he has held since 1979.

It is not know whether Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan will contest the post. The former deputy president was earlier this week expelled by the party’s disciplinary committee, but reinstated days later after his appeal was heard by the CWC.