The crisis-ridden Malaysian Makkal Sakthi Party (MMSP) has adopted a neutral stand in the Malaysian political scene.

This will allow a free hand for the party in deciding who can deliver the best deal for the Indian community that has been neglected for the past 52 years.

NONE In stating this, MMSP acting president V Vathemurthy ( left ) clarified that the four-month old party was not formed specially to pull in Indian votes for the Barisan Nasional in the next general elections.

He said, "We will remain a neutral party and support any coalition group whether Barisan or Pakatan that can solve the social-economic problems of the neglected Indian community from the time the country achieved independence."

He told Malaysiakini today that he is aware that Indian youths are not happy at the present political direction of the MMSP, previously led RS Thanenthiran who the group had pushed out of the party.

Vathemurthy was confident that the present hiccups wracking the party can be overcome and a new direction set.

He still harbours the hope that business tycoon and party advisor OMS Thiagarajan can be coaxed into helming the party, despite his declining the post earlier, to lead it to greater heights.

Banking hope on tycoon

All he is waiting for is the civil suit to be settled to invite the tycoon again to fill the president's post which could act a big morale booster for the demoralised party.

As former deputy president Vathemurthy had led a rebel group in the party's central committee against Thanenthiran for allegedly diverting from the party's original political stand and toppled him from his post.

Vathemurthy's faction filed a civil suit against Registrar of Societies and Thanenthiran for amending the party's constitution without central committee approval.

hindraf thanenthiran supports anwar ibrahim pc 160908 01 On the leadership struggle between Thanenthiran ( right ) and himself, Vathemurthy said, "There is no leadership struggle as Thanenthiran has been sacked from the party and there is only a code of ethics dispute between him and the central committee members."

Vathemurthy said that he is going to file a defamation suit against his former boss for allegedly telling the Tamil daily Malaysian Nanban on Feb 11 that he is a bankrupt.

He said that he has in his possession written clarification from the insolvency department in Putrajaya that this not so.

Although Thanenthiran had stated later that he was misquoted by the press, Vathemurthy insists on going ahead with the suit.

"My reputation as a businessman, a family man and as a politician has been greatly damaged by his irresponsible and vindictive press statement," he said.