Fed up with the Registrar of Societies (ROS), MIC president G Palanivel is mulling court action against the "grave injustice" he accuses the government body of inflicting on the party.

Palanivel - in a press conference today - said he would go to the court, unless ROS withdraws all its letters to the party dated Dec 5, 2014, Dec 31, 2014 and Feb 6, 2015.

"They must do so before 5pm on Tuesday (Feb 17), and accept the proposals as stated in my Feb 5 letter for an amicable resolution.

"This unlawful and prejudicial conduct of the ROS must stop immediately," he added.

ROS last week issued a definitive letter ordering MIC to conduct re-elections for all its branches,  divisions, wings and its central leadership.

Palanivel said today he was unhappy with ROS for making findings and giving directives and he pointed out that there was no provision under the Societies Act for the ROS to nullify the elections for the MIC vice-presidents and central working committee members (CWC).

ROS, in the letter dated Dec 5 last year, made recommendations in relation to the allegations made by certain quarters after the party elections for the posts of vice-presidents and CWC members.

Palanivel issued a letter to ROS, dated Dec 24 last year, for clarifications, to which ROS replied on Dec 31 that a dispute had arisen over the identities of the party's office bearers.

'ROS did not give MIC opportunity to explain'

Further, in a letter dated Feb 6 this year, ROS stated that new complaints had been received that new branches formed by the MIC in 2013 and had also taken part in the 2013 party leadership elections.

"It is appalling that the ROS even considered such complaints made after more than one year after the elections.

"ROS also decided to conclude that the allegations are valid, without giving any opportunity to MIC to explain or clarify its position," Palanivel said.

On the purported "illegal meeting" held at the CWC room of the MIC headquarters yesterday, Palanivel said ROS had become party to the "illegal act" of breaking-in and holding the meeting.

Four officers from ROS had been present at the meeting.

"Those involved, and ROS, have been in complete disregard of the provisions of the MIC constitution and the law. The meeting cannot proceed in my absence as only I am empowered to chair all meetings, unless I delegate the task to anyone else," Palanivel said.

ROS had previously ordered MIC to re-elect its three vice-presidents and the CWC members after allegations of irregularities in the party's 2013 elections had been made.

 

However, ROS changed its stance and ordered a complete re-election after finding that there was "basis" to complaints by some MIC members that party branches that were not eligible also took part in the 2013 elections.

 

According to the MIC constitution, delegates from branches formed in the same year of a party leadership election cannot vote in the central elections, a procedure that opponents of Palanivel claim was breached in 2013.

Meanwhile, Vell Paari, the son of former MIC president S Samy Vellu, critcised Palanivel for changing his stance after earlier agreeing to a re-election to resolve the party's crisis.

Vell Paari said Palanivel had agreed to the terms in a meeting attended by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his rival, MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam.

"Now he wants to take ROS to court... By threatening to take ROS to court, Palani is now going against the prime minister, deputy prime minister, the BN secretary-general, the home minister and his own government that he represents as cabinet minister," he said in a statement.