MIC blames Najib for delay in senate appointments

(FMT) – MIC President G Palanivel has blamed Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak over the delay in appointing senators from the party, according to a member of the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC).

Palanivel made the accusation at an emergency meeting of the CWC yesterday, the source told FMT today.

He allegedly said Najib had confused him on the appointments.

According to the source, he made the remark in response to a question posed by party vice president M Saravanan.

“Answering a question raised by Saravanan over the delay in filling up the three vacant senator positions, Palanivel said the appointment process was delayed because of Najib.”

The source also said Palanivel told the meeting MIC had been allocated six positions in the senate, not seven as reported in the media.

Three of the positions are now held by former party secretary-general Jaspal Singh and CWC members V Subramaniam and A Sivapakiam. Their terms end next month.

The source said Palanivel did not mention the extra senate seat promised to MIC after it withdrew from contesting for a Perak state seat in the last general election to make way for an Umno candidate.

Palanivel said last week that the new senators from MIC would be sworn in during the coming Dewan Negara sitting in June. That statement appears to have been overtaken by what he allegedly told the CWC yesterday.

Yesterday’s alleged statement also contradicted earlier news reports that quoted him as claiming to have the final say in appointments of MIC members to the senate.

“Now we are confused,” said the source. “How is it possible for Najib to confuse Palanivel when the party president has the prerogative to give the names to the PM? Or is he trying to confuse everyone else?”

The source also said Palanivel had promised senate positions to more than 50 MIC leaders.

“I believe it is Najib who has been confused by Palanivel,” he added.