FMT:
Ex-MIC veep Sivaraj quits party
C Sivaraj says he wants to carry out his duties as a senator and leader of the Indian community without any hindrance, ‘especially from the MIC leadership’.
Former MIC vice-president C Sivaraj said several ‘incidents’ under MIC president SA Vigneswaran’s leadership forced him to relinquish his membership.
PETALING JAYA: Former MIC vice-president C Sivaraj has resigned from the Barisan Nasional component party.
Sivaraj said he was quitting the party as he wanted to carry out his responsibilities as a senator and leader of the Indian community without any hindrance, “especially from the MIC leadership”.
He also said several “incidents” had occurred under MIC president SA Vigneswaran’s leadership that forced him to relinquish his membership.
Sivaraj confirmed sending a letter on this to Vigneswaran when contacted by FMT.
“Since joining MIC nearly 20 years ago, I have given the highest commitment to the party’s struggles. I have given my best to the party and community in my various capacities in the party.
“Tan Sri (Vigneswaran), I personally feel that this decision is the best for me and, more importantly, for the party at this time because I am seen as a threat to the existing party leadership.
“I truly do not want this to cause the party to be split, simply due to contradictory views and approaches,” he said in the letter.
Two weeks ago, Sivaraj was removed from the party’s central working committee (CWC), though the reason was not disclosed.
He had been appointed to the CWC by Vigneswaran after losing the race for the vice-presidency in MIC’s 2021 party polls.
In the 14th general election, Sivaraj won the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat with a 597-vote majority. However, his victory was invalidated by a court in 2018, citing evidence of corrupt practices during the polls.
Sivaraj was then slated to contest in the Padang Serai seat in last year’s general election, but the election for the seat was postponed after the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate M Karupaiya died before the polls were held.
With PH and Barisan Nasional subsequently becoming partners in the unity government, he agreed to withdraw his candidacy and support the PH candidate. However, Perikatan Nasional won the seat.
In March this year, Sivaraj was appointed a senator.
PETALING JAYA: Former MIC vice-president C Sivaraj has resigned from the Barisan Nasional component party.
Sivaraj said he was quitting the party as he wanted to carry out his responsibilities as a senator and leader of the Indian community without any hindrance, “especially from the MIC leadership”.
He also said several “incidents” had occurred under MIC president SA Vigneswaran’s leadership that forced him to relinquish his membership.
Sivaraj confirmed sending a letter on this to Vigneswaran when contacted by FMT.
“Since joining MIC nearly 20 years ago, I have given the highest commitment to the party’s struggles. I have given my best to the party and community in my various capacities in the party.
“Tan Sri (Vigneswaran), I personally feel that this decision is the best for me and, more importantly, for the party at this time because I am seen as a threat to the existing party leadership.
“I truly do not want this to cause the party to be split, simply due to contradictory views and approaches,” he said in the letter.
Two weeks ago, Sivaraj was removed from the party’s central working committee (CWC), though the reason was not disclosed.
He had been appointed to the CWC by Vigneswaran after losing the race for the vice-presidency in MIC’s 2021 party polls.
In the 14th general election, Sivaraj won the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat with a 597-vote majority. However, his victory was invalidated by a court in 2018, citing evidence of corrupt practices during the polls.
Sivaraj was then slated to contest in the Padang Serai seat in last year’s general election, but the election for the seat was postponed after the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate M Karupaiya died before the polls were held.
With PH and Barisan Nasional subsequently becoming partners in the unity government, he agreed to withdraw his candidacy and support the PH candidate. However, Perikatan Nasional won the seat.
In March this year, Sivaraj was appointed a senator.
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