Ex-MIC committee member says president’s wife runs party

Former MIC central committee member Datuk R. Ramanan claims he has taken orders from party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel's wife. – The Malaysian Insider pic, January 6, 2015.The drama in MIC continues with a former MIC central working committee (CWC) member once again alleging that the president's wife, Datin Seri P. Kanagam is the one running the show in the Indian-based party.Datuk R. Ramanan, who was recently dropped from the CWC, claimed that he had received orders from Datuk Seri G. Palanivel's wife and carried them out without question."I was blindly loyal. Any instruction given, I would just do it," he told a press conference at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today."I have received orders from both the president and the 'husband'," he said sarcastically, implying that Kanagam was more powerful than her husband in the party.Palanivel had previously denied that his wife and other relatives had anything to do with the leadership of the party, and told "irresponsible" individuals not to stoop low by bringing up such matters.The MIC president has also been accused of deliberately trying to deregister the party as there was no initiative taken towards re-election as requested by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).Ramanan also questioned Kanagam's presence at the MIC elections last year, where he claimed party members close to her were chosen as counting agents."What was she doing at the elections venue? How could she have entered the counting room without an authorised tag?" he asked."This question is for Palanivel who was the chairman of the party elections."Ramanan also alleged that Kanagam had circulated a list of the president's preferred candidates to the party delegates at the election."I asked where did this list come from, and people said it came from Kanagam."MIC, the main party representing ethnic Indians in the Barisan Nasional coalition, is in the midst of upheaval following the Registrar of Societies' (RoS) directive for the party to hold fresh polls for the vice-president, central working committee and branch positions.Palanivel has been accused of stalling the re-election so that MIC would be de-registered so as to form a new party comprising his supporters.Criticism has been mounting against the president, with even his own deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam breaking his silence today and distancing himself from decisions made by him. – January 6, 2015.