KUALA LUMPUR, 17 March 2009: MIC presidential aspirant and former vice-president Datuk M Muthupalaniappan has obtained enough nominations required to contest the party’s top post.
The 66-year-old leader from Seremban secured 51 nominations so far, one more than needed, to contest the MIC president’s post, which is held by Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu since 1979.
“Yes, I have managed so far to obtain 51 nominations. But I am not going to stop looking for more nominations.
“I do not want to take chances. Some branch chairs could have signed two nominations, one for me and one for the incumbent and this would make both nominations invalid.
“The more nominations I get, the more secure I can be. I do not want to take any risk or chances. Some nominations might even be rejected on technical grounds and I am prepared for any glitches,” he told Bernama when contacted today.
Late last year, Muthupalaniappan announced his intention to contest the party’s top post.
He would face Samy Vellu, who had declared that he would defend the post.
Under party constitution, a presidential aspirant needs to obtain 50 nominations, with each nomination needing one proposer and five seconders, to be eligible to contest.
All proposers and seconders must be branch chairpersons.
The MIC president will be picked by some 3,700 branch chairpersons nationwide.
The party has fixed 22 March for the presidential nomination while polling is slated for 12 April. The last time Samy Vellu faced a stiff fight for the MIC presidency was in 1989, when he narrowly defeated his then deputy Datuk S Subramaniam.
Muthupalaniappan said if elected, he would limit the duration for the position of party president to two terms or six years to allow young leaders in the party a chance to bring reform.
