A day after announcing that he will be stepping down as MIC president eight months before his term ends in May 2012, S Samy Vellu said he will assess the performances of the branch

chiefs in a continuous effort to restructure the party leadership.

NONE He said assessment was important to prepare for the 13th general election, where the Indian votes were vital to secure victory for the BN, and also to groom committed and hardworking leaders who could do their work well.

The assessment would involve the quality of service provided, number of programmes held, number of new voters registered and public feedback, among other things, he said in a statement here today.

He said the less active branches would be revamped and given a fresh breath by appointing new leaders and short-term courses would be held for all branch leaders as soon as possible.

A standard operating procedure for branch chiefs would be issued to ensure that they gave fast and effective service to their local communities, he said, adding that new branches would be led by young men and women.

He also said that branches could now be formed with only 60 members compared with 100 previously.

- Bernama