MIC president S Samy Vellu must not only choose the right time to relinquish his post but also pick the right candidate to succeed him.

t mohan In making this call, MIC Youth chief T Mohan said the issue of seniority should not arise when choosing a successor in order to ensure that the candidate is a person who would be able to push the party forward.

"Just because a leader has been there for a long time, it doesn't mean that he should be handed the top post on a silver platter. MIC Youth does not believe in this practice.

"The successor should be a person who is young and vibrant," he was quoted as saying by Tamil daily Malaysia Nanban yesterday.

However, Mohan did not mention if the Youth wing had any particular leader in mind whom it considers as the best replacement for Samy Vellu who has been at the helm for three decades.

While the 72-year-old president has not set a time-frame for his departure from active politics, speculation is rife that he could step down over the next few months.

Under pressure

The grapevines also have it that Samy Vellu is being pressured to set a transition plan in motion by incoming premier Najib Abdul Razak.

samy vellu interview 160408 03 Since the March 8 general election which saw MIC suffering heavy losses, the veteran politician has been struggling with the uphill task of re-enticing the Indian community as detractors demand for him to step down.

On Saturday, Samy Vellu said that he would consult party members first before deciding when to call it a day.

MIC will hold its triennial elections for the post of deputy president, three vice-presidents and central working committee in September this year while the date for the presidential elections have yet to be fixed.

It is understood that there would be an intense battle for the party's number two post with former deputy president S Subramaniam expected to join the fray.

The other contenders could be MIC vice-president S Sothinathan and Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam.

The current deputy president and next in line is G Palanivel, who is expected to defend his post.