IPOH, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- The MIC Sungai Siput division on Monday expressed support for party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel or any candidate of his choice to be fielded in the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in Perak in the next general election.
Its chairman, R. Ganesan, said the party would work hard for the Barisan Nasional (BN) to recapture the seat. The MP now is Dr D. Jeyakumar of PKR who beat incumbent Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, the former MIC president, in the 2008 general election.
"We welcome Datuk Seri (Palanivel) to contest the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in the 13th general election. This is a historic seat for the MIC. Our priority is for the president (to contest). If he selects someone else, we will accept the decision and work hard to ensure the candidate's victory," he told reporters here.
Ganesan said the agreement for Palanivel to contest in Sungai Siput was not only a unanimous decision of the MIC but had the agreement of Umno, MCA, Gerakan and PPP as well as the support of IPF and Makkal Sakthi.
He hit out at a statement issued by former Sungai Siput MIC Youth head K. Manimaran in a Tamil newspaper today that the seat should be handed over to Umno.
Umno had not asked for the seat, and neither has any other BN component party, he said, adding that such a statement can undermine harmony within the BN.
Palanivel recently took over the post of Perak MIC chairman from Datuk S. Veerasingam, which is seen as a positive move to bolster the MIC's position in facing the next general election.
He also said that as at September last year, Sungai Siput had 11,066 Indian voters and MIC now had 7,500 members in the area.
Ganesan said the MIC Sungai Siput division had applied to open 23 new branches, and added that this indicated the growing Indian support for the party and the BN.
Its chairman, R. Ganesan, said the party would work hard for the Barisan Nasional (BN) to recapture the seat. The MP now is Dr D. Jeyakumar of PKR who beat incumbent Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, the former MIC president, in the 2008 general election.
"We welcome Datuk Seri (Palanivel) to contest the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in the 13th general election. This is a historic seat for the MIC. Our priority is for the president (to contest). If he selects someone else, we will accept the decision and work hard to ensure the candidate's victory," he told reporters here.
Ganesan said the agreement for Palanivel to contest in Sungai Siput was not only a unanimous decision of the MIC but had the agreement of Umno, MCA, Gerakan and PPP as well as the support of IPF and Makkal Sakthi.
He hit out at a statement issued by former Sungai Siput MIC Youth head K. Manimaran in a Tamil newspaper today that the seat should be handed over to Umno.
Umno had not asked for the seat, and neither has any other BN component party, he said, adding that such a statement can undermine harmony within the BN.
Palanivel recently took over the post of Perak MIC chairman from Datuk S. Veerasingam, which is seen as a positive move to bolster the MIC's position in facing the next general election.
He also said that as at September last year, Sungai Siput had 11,066 Indian voters and MIC now had 7,500 members in the area.
Ganesan said the MIC Sungai Siput division had applied to open 23 new branches, and added that this indicated the growing Indian support for the party and the BN.
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