GE13: Palanivel rules out Samy as polls candidate

(The Star) – Former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has been ruled out as one of the candidates for the nine parliamentary and 19 state seats allotted to the party.

Party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said although the party had yet to finalise its candidates, Samy Vellu was not one of them. However, he said Samy Vellu had been working hard in the Sungai Siput constituency, which he lost to Dr Michael Jeyakumar in the 2008 election.

“He will not be a candidate. It is not right of the media to speculate that Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu will be a candidate,” he said yesterday.

Samy Vellu, who is Special Envoy for Infrastructure for India and South Asia, had earlier been quoted by online portals as declaring himself to be a “winnable candidate” for the Sungai Siput seat should he be picked to contest there.

Palanivel said discussions were ongoing over candidates for several state seats.

During the party’s central working committee meeting on Thursday evening, Palanivel said MIC was happy that it was allowed to re-contest all the parliamentary and state seats it had contested in the 2008 general election.

Palanivel, who is also a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, is expected to contest in Cameron Highlands, while Datuk S.K. Devamany, who is MIC vice-president, is tipped to contest the Sungai Siput seat.

MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam is set to defend the Segamat seat while another party vice-president, Datuk M. Saravanan, currently Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister, will defend his Tapah seat.