MIC deputy president S Subramaniam has conceded that the party can no longer be “in denial” about the problems plaguing the party and should address the problems as soon as possible.

“We cannot be in denial any more. If there are no issues, why did people go to the Registrar of Societies (ROS)? If there are no issues why did ROS issue us a letter?” Subramaniam said after a working visit to the Penang Hospital today.

ROS had ordered MIC to hold fresh party polls for its three vice-president and its central working committee (CWC) posts, though the party has not decided whether to adhere to the order.

Party president G Palanivel, in a recent interview with The Star, had continued defending last year’s party polls in Malacca, and had previously said that there were inconsistencies with the ROS order.

He had also brushed off the group of about 500 MIC members who turned at the party’s emergency meeting last Thursday and demanded that he resign, labelling them as a “small group” from the “bottom level” of the party.

But for Subramaniam, there is a need to acknowledge the divisions within the party and then consolidate.

“The party cannot afford long-term bickering and feuds any more. The longer we delay the solution, the damage gets worse,” he said.

“We need to sit down together, recognise that there are some people who are unhappy, and probably recognise there are some real issues we need to deal with,” he added.

Subramaniam also admitted that MIC had been weakened considerably since the 2008 elections.

“The party has weakened from 2008 to 2013, up until now. If this continues, by 2018, we might face some major problems,” he warned.

Palanivel had insisted the party is still strong and that he is busy “strengthening” the grassroots in the party.

Palanivel assumed the post of party president in 2010, and in last year’s party polls, retained the post uncontested.

Both his and Subramaniam’s posts had been spared by ROS in the re-election order.