MIC president S Samy Vellu said today that a majority of party members had accepted Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator T Murugiah's membership in the party.

samy vellu mic agm 110710 03 "Many party members accepted the decision, including the division heads," he told reporters before opening a seminar on the registration of new voters for MIC divisional heads in Kuala Lumpur.

However, he said, there were some MIC members who were unhappy with it.

MIC accepted Murugiah's membership application last Thursday.

Samy Vellu ( left ) believed that with MIC having an additional deputy minister's post through Murugiah, it would enable the party to do more for the Indian community.

On Murugiah's plan to bring 200,000 of his supporters to join MIC, Samy Vellu said the party would accept them.

Meanwhile, Murugiah, when met at the same function, said he was not hoping for any party post in MIC.

"I have to understand that MIC has its own regulations where I have to be a an ordinary member for three years...it is not a problem," he added.

puduraya murugiah 260908 Murugiah ( right ) said he would do his best to help strengthen the party.

On his proposal to get his supporters to join MIC, Murugiah said he would meet them later today.

He also said that he was touched by the overwhelming response to his membership in MIC.

"When I was appointed a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, I only received 300 congratulatory messages through the short messaging service (SMS), but when I was accepted in MIC, I had received more than 4,000 SMS an also many telephone calls, including from Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak," he added.

- Bernama