A specially-arranged emergency meeting involving several sacked People's Progressive Party members today passed a resolution to appoint Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department T Murugiah as party president.

The sudden move comes in the wake of a bitter feud between incumbent party president M Kayveas and his protege-turned-nemesis Murugiah, who was sacked from the party along with six others a week ago.

The latest development may also jeapordise triennial party elections due on June 7 and subject the party to close scrutiny by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

According to figures from the meeting, 1,762 delegates attended the emergency session at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre this morning, where they voted unanimously through a show of hands to reinstate Murugiah and the six others as party members.

Following this, a resolution was passed to sack Kayveas as the party president and be replaced by Murugiah. A new 25-member supreme council and women's wing chief were also elected.

murugiah ppp new president 240509 According to witnesses, Murugiah was carried into the hall after he was reinstated and was given a rapturous standing ovation.

In his policy speech, Murugiah pledged that he was a PPP president for all Malaysians and would work closely with other Barisan Nasional component parties.

"I'll never threaten other BN component parties. That will never happen again," he said, in an obvious reference to Kayveas' acrimonious relationship with MIC, Gerakan and MCA.

"The members want our own building for our party headquarters. Leave that to me. We will have our own building," he told the delegates who replied in roars of approval.

Question marks over validity

Though initially appearing triumphant in the meeting hall, Murugiah became visibly irate when repeatedly quizzed by reporters during a press conference over the validity of the meeting.

Seven-minutes into the press conference, the usually composed and mild-mannered Murugiah abruptly got up from his seat and left in a huff.

murugiah egm 240509 garland Just before that, Murugiah described the EGM results as "political tsunami" for PPP.

"I accept the decision of the delegates from all over the country who have unanimously supported me. I'm sure they have thought deeply before deciding," he said.

Murugiah said he would be meeting the ROS and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak soon to inform them about the EGM decision.

Quizzed on technical matters, such as the quorum for the meeting, Murugiah said it was best left for the 10 independent lawyers present to answer the question.

"I was invited to attend the meeting, and thus I came... on the legal bits, I'll leave it to the lawyers," he said. However no lawyers came to address the press.

To another question, Murugiah said that the EGM was organised by heads of party branches, but was unable to name any of them. He also declined to comment when asked about the haste to hold the EGM despite party elections to be held in two weeks.

He repeatedly stressed that all decisions in the EGM were not made by him but by the delegates. He added that any dispute should be taken up with the ROS.

‘ He might as well call himself the PM'

Reinstated party member and newly elected supreme council member M Jeyaratnam told reporters later that the EGM had met the quorum with more than two-thirds of total party branches attending the meeting.

He added that the party constitution allowed for branch chairpersons to hold an EGM and also allowed party delegates to overrule the party supreme council's decisions.

In an immediate reaction, Kayveas told Malaysiakini that the meeting was an illegal gathering called by expelled party members. He added that he was still the party president.

"He (Murugiah) is abusing his position as a deputy minister to call for the meet-the-people session which suddenly turned into an EGM. I suggest he might as well call himself the prime minister," said Kayveas.

kayveas ppp pc 120308 straight "This is a bad example being set by a deputy minister who is creating lawlessness. It really shows the true colours - a desperate and power crazy politician," he added.

Asked if the EGM would jeapordise the June 7 party polls and force the ROS to take action on the party, Kayveas said that the matter does not arise.

"The ROS does not deal with sacked members," he stressed.

Earlier today, dozens of busses which ferried EGM participants and Murugiah's supporters lined up the road towards the venue.

Some 20 uniformed police personnel were also seen manning several positions in the venue.