Copingo, a coalition of Penang Indian NGOs, has accused MIC president G Palanivel of being a leader who peddles deception.

Copingo chairperson N Ganesan took Palanivel to task for describing the memorandum of understanding (MOU) inked between Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (PHM) prior to the last general election as a “mistake”.

"Does the Indian community need such a leader who cannot see beyond the tip of his nose?" he asked.

Ganesan ( right ) went onb to ask the MIC leader to answer: "Palanivel, is asking for fair share of the common wealth of one’s country a mistake? Is requiring effective correction programmes for the growing underclass problem in the community a mistake?

"Is asking for a complete upgrade of Tamil primary schools in the country a mistake? Is asking for fair living opportunities for the Indian poor a mistake?" he added.

Ganesan, who is also a PHM leader, said when leaders like Najib and Palanivel "deceive endlessly" the Indian community in the country, it would continue to be in the doldrums.

"The policies of Najib are nothing more than a cover for creating more profit opportunities for those already well-endowed, and often at the expense of the poor and vulnerable, resulting in increasing marginalisation of those at the bottom," he told Malaysiakini .

Palanivel’s policies, he said, were there to provide cover for his boss, Najib, so that the MIC president could keep his job.

PHM chief P Waythamoorthy had been heavily criticised for the MOU with Najib, for which Waythamoorthy was subsequently made a senator and awarded a deputy ministership.

Waythamoorthy eventually quit his post after accusing Najib's administration of failing to uphold its end of the bargain after BN won the 13th general election.