MIED given leave to sue chairman, eight others

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — The Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED) can now go ahead and sue its chairman and eight trustees for alleged mismanagement, resulting in financial losses.

High Court Judicial Commissioner Mah Weng Kwai allowed ex-MIC Youth chief A. Vigneswaran’s application to name MIED as the plaintiff in his proposed suit.

Vigneswaran, who is an MIED member, had sought leave under Section 181A of the Companies Act 1965, which stipulates that parties that want to be named on behalf of the company as plaintiff in a suit can only institute it with the leave of the court.

On April 14, the court rejected the MIED’s preliminary objection to Vigneswaran’s application for leave to commence the suit.

His counsel, A. Vasanthi, told reporters that the court allowed Vigneswaran’s application on the grounds that there was a prima facie case against the MIED’s trustees and other wrongdoers.

She said her client had 30 days to file the writ of summons.

In his proposed suit, Vigneswaran named the MIED as the plaintiff and its chairman and eight trustees as the defendants. — Bernama

Mugilan reveals document on Samy's 'stashed funds

By G Vinod

PETALING JAYA: Sacked MIC deputy youth chief V Mugilan today continued with his attacks on party president S Samy Vellu by making fresh claims that the latter had misappropriated the Indian community's funds since 1982.

“I have the evidence to prove that he started his hanky panky from 1982,” said Mugilan who claimed he received an anonymous parcel on June 7 which contained the evidence.

“I received two detailed documents. One is a 1982 bank transfer note which indicates US$815,900 was transferred via telegraph to S Samy Vellu.

“The other is a copy of an MACC report, which alleged Samy Vellu in his capacity as chairman of Maju Institute of Education Development (MIED) had misappropriated RM800,000,” said Mugilan.

He showed reporters the MACC report, filed under Complaint No: 0050/2010, which was taken down by an officer named Barbara Anak Panit in February 2010.

“Why is the MACC is pussy-footing over its investigation into this report? I urge the anti-graft body to hasten its investigations,” he told reporters at a press conference today.

Mugilan alleged that Samy Vellu had even purchased a watch worth RM113,000 using MIED funds.

“This a serious matter and I urge the government to set up a special Cabinet-level committee to get to the bottom of the matter. I will be making a police report after consulting my lawyers,” he said.

In another development, Mugilan said that he will be filing a RM2 million suit against Tamil Nesan for labelling him “anti-MIC”.

“Kumar is also suing the daily for a similar sum for tarnishing his name,” he said, referring to former central working committee member G Kumar Aamaan who was present by his side
.

Sacked MIC members to sue Tamil Nesan

By G Vinod

KUALA LUMPUR: Two sacked MIC officials are suing the Tamil Nesan, saying the daily defamed them when it said they opposed the party.

They said they were against party president S Samy Vellu, not the party itself.

They said Tamil Nesan, which is aligned to the MIC president, had disparaged them and that their lawyers would take action soon.

The two — former deputy youth leader V Mugilan and former central working committee member G Kumar Aamaan — alleged in a press statement that their expulsion from MIC violated the party’s constitution.

“Our expulsion was not in the spirit of Article 14.2.1, the very article that was used as grounds to expel us,” they said in the joint statement.

According to the article, a member is liable to be expelled if he or she “makes or is party to the making” of any press statement “on any matter concerning the party, party affairs or any member of the party which is detrimental to the party or is contrary to its policy or objectives.”Mugilan was expelled last month for asking Samy Vellu to resign by the end of the year instead of waiting until late next year as the party president had planned. Kumar was sacked for supporting Mugilan's call.

Last week, they both appealed for reinstatement in the party.

“We are part of a movement called Gerakan Anti Samy Vellu, which is against the stewardship of party president S Samy Vellu, not against the party itself,” they said.

“In what way is urging Samy Vellu to leave MIC going against the party policies or objective?

“In fact, we are trying to save the party from Samy Vellu, who is destroying the very fundamental principles of democracy that exist in the party,” their statement said.

Mugilan slams MIC leaders for linking MCA over GAS

By B Nantha Kumar

KUALA LUMPUR: Former deputy MIC Youth chief V Mugilan, who was sacked from the party for being “disloyal”, today slammed MIC leaders for, first, linking Umno and now MCA to his Gerakan Anti-SamyVellu (GAS) movement.

“It is stupid to point fingers and blame others for decisions that GAS takes.

“Dragging first Umno and now MCA into GAS public rally simply shows that Samy Vellu's group is under a lot of pressure,” said Mugilan referring to a weekend FMT report which said MIC was angry with MCA-owned The Star publications for playing up stories on Mugilan and GAS.

The report, quoting a top-level MIC source, said the party would urge the Indian community to boycott The Star.

Said Mugilan: “Once before they claimed Umno helped us [GAS]. Now they are saying MCA is on our side… tomorrow they may even claim that Tok Guru (PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat) is behind us.

“These people are totally mad. Do they even know what they are saying?

“Tamil Nesan has a 10,000 daily circulation whereas Star has 400,000. It is a huge difference.

“It won’t cause even the slightest dent if Samy Vellu’s group of people stop reading The Star newspaper.”

Mugilan threatens to sue Tamil Nesan

On another matter, Mugilan is planning to sue Tamil language daily, Tamil Nesan, over a front-page notice which alleged that he was anti-MIC.

Mugilan, who founded GAS, said he would also act against the newspaper over a crossed-out photo-strip of sacked MIC central working committee (CWC) members and several eminent former officials who were once supporters of S Samy Vellu.

“For the record, GAS was against Samy Vellu as president of MIC, not the party itself. Tamil Nesan has been describing Samy Vellu as MIC and MIC as Samy Vellu. This is wrong!” he said.

Reiterating that he was “not anti-MIC”, and he “loved” the party, he accused the paper, which is owned by Samy Vellu’s family, of deliberately discrediting him among the Indian community.

“We [GAS] have explained many times that it is not against the party but the ‘old man’.

“But the paper refuses to look at the real issue,” he said, adding that despite the newspaper’s attempt to snuff out GAS, support for the movement was increasing rapidly.

The notice which had been appearing daily since late last week under the title “Anti-MIC Group” featured crossed-out photographs of former MIC deputy president S Subramaniam, CWC members KP Samy, G Kumar Amman, former MIED chief executive officer V Chithrakala and former Petaling Jaya division chief V Subramainiam (Barat Maniam).

Others in the photo-strip were former veteran MIC veteran K Govindasamy, Mugilan, OMS Thilagarajan and former MIC president V Manikavasgam’s brother VL Kanthan.

The notice alleged that they were all not only anti-MIC but also against Umno and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

Samy Vellu paper blames MCA, Soi Lek for GAS

By Baradan Kuppusamy
June 06, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu's Tamil Nesan newspaper added today the MCA, its The Star newspaper and Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as forces behind the Anti-Samy Vellu Movement (GAS).
The MCA, its newly-elected president and the daily it controls are the latest to be accused by the newspaper after it also recently blamed Datuk S. Subramaniam and Umno as the “hidden hands” behind GAS.
In a front page story today the Tamil Nesan fired a broadside at the MCA, Dr Chua and The Star as forces behind GAS.
The paper said The Star was previously supportive of the MIC and its programmes but had suddenly switched camps and was now giving undue prominence to the GAS movement.
It also accused Dr Chua of fuelling the GAS movement as a way to turn public attention away from the problems the MCA faced from the Chinese community which is said to have rejected the party.
The Star has been giving prominence to GAS and statements by its founder V. Mugilan, the former MIC deputy youth chief who was promoted as the candidate by Umno for the recent Hulu Selangor by-election in place of former incumbent Datuk G. Palanivel.
Samy Vellu pushed for Palanivel but Umno felt his unpopularity would put off majority Malay voters.
In the end Samy Vellu and Umno compromised in MIC Information Chief P. Kamalanathan who won the seat narrowly, defeating Pakatan Rakyat (PR) big gun Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
The Malaysian Insider understands the last straw for the Samy Vellu camp was a story in The Star on Saturday in which Mugilan is quoted as questioning the millions of ringgit collected in the name of AIMST University.
The story, played down in other mainstream dailies, received a page-lead treatment in The Star.
Mugilan wanted to know what happened to the money and demanded that Samy Vellu account for the collection.
He also wanted to know how RM330 million in government grants for AIMST University was spent and asked Samy Vellu to provide the answers.
“Pure rubbish,” said Mugilan about any connection with the MCA. “They are getting desperate and simply firing away at anything that moves.”
The GAS movement was set up to force Samy Vellu, who has announced he would step down next “July or September” to retire on July 10, at the 64th annual general meeting of the MIC which is to be declared open by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
It is understood the Prime Minister is “very reluctant” to do the favour for Samy Vellu and might send a representative unless Samy Vellu agrees to leave soon.
Barisan Nasional (BN) needs him out of the way for the MIC to reform under a new leader and offer new agenda and hope for the Indian community.
“The first step in transformation is for Samy to go,” said a senior BN leader. “But he is clinging on for 32 years…it’s simply amazing how much he loves power even if the ship is sinking.”
By attacking the MCA, The Tamil Nesan, seen as the mouthpiece of Samy Vellu and his family, is giving the wrong signal to the MIC rank and file and the Indian community and further eroding BN’s standing among the public.
Samy Vellu’s son, Vel Paari who is managing director of Tamil Nesan, would not have allowed the story through without his father’s blessing, MIC sources said.
“Clearly they are taking on the MCA, The Star, GAS and even UMNO,” an MIC insider said adding the family is throwing caution to the winds by asking MCA to leave BN and dredging up the sex scandal involving Dr Chua.

'Embattled MCA boss hiding behind MIC's GAS'

By RK Anand

UPDATED KUALA LUMPUR: A top level MIC leader has accused MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek of using the Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) movement as a "smokescreen" for his woes in the party.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, he told FMT that Chua was using the MCA-owned English daily The Star to blow up the GAS issue, giving much prominence to its leaders such as V Mugilan.

“MCA is weak and becoming irrelevant after it underwent a leadership crisis and it hopes to create a similar situation in MIC. Talk is that Chua is facing problems, and a mutiny is brewing.

“To make matters worse, his son's appointment to the cabinet has also set tongues wagging. Apparently, this has not gone down well with some MCA leaders,” he said.

After taking over MCA's leadership reins, Chua repeatedly said that he would not accept a senator post or cabinet appointment as he wanted to concentrate on rebuilding the strife-torn party.

However, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak caught many by surprise when he announced on Tuesday that Chua's son Tee Yong, who is also Labis MP, has been appointed as a deputy minister.

'Samy and gang furious'

Meanwhile, the MIC leader said party president S Samy Vellu and those aligned to him were furious with Chua and The Star for publishing the “negative reports”.

“Even the GAS rally on Sunday was portrayed as a major event when all other news organisations, including the more critical online media, stopped short of calling it a failure.

“But The Star devoted several pages, and hiked the figure to 5,000 when the others reported that only 3,000 or so had turned up for the event,” he added.

The MIC leader claimed that MCA and The Star were also being used by “certain individuals” to condemn Samy Vellu and pressure him to step down.

He said it was surprising that the daily was publishing negative news about another Barisan Nasional component party.

“The newspaper has always been supportive of MIC but all of a sudden, we see the newspaper going for the kill,” he said.

MIC to launch counter attack

In view of this, the leader said MIC would launch a counter attack on MCA and Chua through the media. A campaign would also be started to call for a boycott of The Star.

He said that Tamil Nesan, owned by Samy Vellu's family, would start publishing negative news about MCA and Chua.

“We want to stress that Chua and MCA have become irrelevant to BN, and the longer Chua stays in power, the more difficult it would be for the Chinese community to come back to BN

“Chua is a liability to BN due to his past actions and MIC would stress a change in leadership in MCA,” said the leader, noting the dismal Chinese support during two recent by-elections.

The newly-minted MCA president was previously embroiled in a sex scandal, which had forced him to resign both as a MP and minister.

Despite mustering enough support to clinch the presidency during the party polls this year, Chua is still being roasted by critics on moral grounds.

'No directive from Chua'

In an immediate reaction, an MCA source told FMT that Chua has never issued any directive to The Star to attack MIC or its president.

"We are in the same team and we don't interfere in the problems of other BN component parties. This is an unfair allegation," he said.

The source, who declined to be named, said other media organisations such as the Umno-linked Utusan Malaysia and TV3 have also been reporting on GAS.

"Samy Vellu started the ball rolling when he sacked Mugilan and the others. This paved the way for GAS to be formed.

"It is news, and The Star is merely reporting on it like the rest. It is not right to blame MCA for this," he added.

PRESS STATEMENT - V MUGILAN & KUMAR AMMAN

On the 5^th June 2010, TAMIL NESAN DAILY has reported with our pictures crossed out on the front page, stating that we are all part of “MIC Anti Group”. This is a preposterous accussation by them(TAMIL NESAN DAILY) as we have made our group’s stand very clear from the very beginning, which even spells out as GAS, an acronym to ‘Gerakan Anti Samy Vellu’. We are against the individual and his outmoded leadership, not the party which we are still very part and proud of.

One may ask why do we claim to be part of the party when we were expeled by the party president, as it is common knowledge that we both have appealed to the CWC for our reinstatement. This is due to the fact that we still have great faith in the CWC and we believe that CWC would consider our appeal on an unbiased route.

The abovementioned accusation is also a desperate move by them to cast aspersions and disparagement to our noble cause due to the very fact that even our expulsion order itself was not done in the spirit of the said Articles of the MIC Constitution.

Article 14.2.1 – “make or be party to the making of any statement to the press on any matter concerning the party, party affairs or any member of the party which is detrimental to the party or is contrary to its policy or objectives.”

As illustrated above, this was the reason stated in the expulsion letter. Now, we put it to them to prove which part of our statements made to the press was detrimental to the party or was contrary to its policies or objectives when we were merely requesting Dato’ Seri S. Samy Vellu to step down for the greater good of the party and the community. It has to do with an individual that is destroying the party and the community that depends upon it. If anything, we were making statements in line with the party’s objectives and to also prevent it from being irrelevant in future.

Hence, by making accusations such as this, they are trying to confuse the community and the party members over and over again by calling us an “Anti MIC Group” when in essence our noble cause is to oust one person from destroying the very fundamentals principles of the party and democracy as a whole. Thus we both appealed against the explusion with the view of democracy and the vested trust in the CWC that justice will be served accordingly and to reinstate us.

For this act of attempting to confuse the community and put us in bad light amongst our colleagues, we shall seek redress by filing a defamation suit against TAMIL NESAN DAILY through our lawyers Thiru Kumar Esq & T.Rajasekaran.

Mugilan Press Realese - 4th June 2010

The issue of MIED hijack by Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu came to light in early 2009 with its ex CEO Mrs. P. Chithirakala Vasu accusation. Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu brushed it aside as a mere attempt of Mrs. Chithirakala’s to tarnish his good name.

However, Dato Seri Samy Vellu shocked many in September 2009 including me through his press statement to Malaysiakini that MIED and AIMST University have no relationship with MIC, they do not belong to MIC those were NGO’s set up by him in his personal capacity. He too stated in that statement that “ Just because I’m MIC President it doesn’t mean MIED belongs to MIC”. His statements clearly highlighted his intention of hijacking MIED from MIC and there was huge public outcry over the issue.

This issue is not settled as no one including Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu, MIED old board members and newly elected board members have come forward to say that MIED will not be taken away from MIC structure when Dato Seri eventually retires. The attempt of Dato S. Subramaniam to pass a resolution in MIED’s latest AGM to retain MIED within MIC was turned down on technical grounds. It clearly raises the doubt whether Dato Seri will leave MIED and AIMST University as a legacy for Malaysian Indian community.

Dato Seri claims to have built the AIMST University, a wholely owned subsidiary of MIED single handedly.

But every MIC Branch Chairmen has contributed in one way or another towards making the Aimst University a reality. Can Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu deny the fact he had ordered every MIC branch to contribute RM 11,000 in order to obtain the B Form – the life line of MIC branches ?

I challenge Dato Seri S. Samy to disclose the total contribution given by the MIC Chairmen through their Branch, Division, State, CWC, Youth and Women by tomorrow to the press. He too must publicly disclose what is the recognition he has given to those Branch Chairmen who have contributed towards the making of Aimst University. If he refuse to do so, he must admit he is not competent to manage a billion dollar MIED and resign from his Chairman post immediately.

Dari Meja Mugilan: Implikasi Politik kepada BN

Pelancaran GAS telah berjaya dilakukan walaupun berlaku sabotaj dan pelbagai usaha untuk menggagalkannya. Mereka percaya telah berjaya menidakkan pelancaran GAS tetapi kehadiran masyarakat India terutamanya ahli MIC dalam bilangan yang besar membuktikan masyarakat India mahukan perubahan. Bagi individu tertentu kehadiran ahli MIC dalam lingkungan 5 ribu orang adalah satu kegagalan namun realitinya bilangan tersebut adalah lebih besar dari kehadiran para delegasi dalam mesyuarat tahunan MIC setiap tahun. Implikasi politik terhadap BN hendaklah direnung hasil dari kehadiran tersebut.

BN berada dalam sesi transformasi yang wajib dilakukan bagi memastikan ia terus kekal dalam arena politik negara sebagai parti yang membentuk kerajaan. Keputusan pilihanraya Sibu amat mencemaskan malah bilangan undi majoriti yang sangat sedikit di Hulu Selangor berbanding dengan masa dan tenaga yang dilaburkan membuktikan pembaharuan yang dilakukan oleh BN masih kurang mempengaruhi para pengundi untuk kembali ke pangkuan BN. Para pengundi tidak boleh dipengaruhi dengan politik pembangunan sahaja malah kekuatan parti turut memainkan peranan untuk mempengaruhi para pengundi.

Dalam konteks ini tiga parti utama yang mendominasi masyarakat Semenanjung Malaysia adalah sangat penting. MCA selepas bergolak kini telah kembali kepada arena politik utama apabila para perwakilan diberikan mandat untuk menentukan arah tuju parti. Umno sendiri telah melakukan pelbagai pembaharuan namun apakah arah tuju parti ketiga penting dalam BN. Apakah arah tuju MIC? Tidak sesiapa yang tahu kecuali Dato' Seri S.Samy Vellu dan anak beliau yang telah dilantik menjadi ahli CWC melalui pintu belakang.

MIC walaupun merupakan sebuah parti yang kecil namun peranan yang dimainkan sejak awal kemerdekaan adalah sangat penting. Masyarakat India selama ini telah memainkan peranan dalam mempertahankan kuasa 2/3 Dewan Rakyat. Namun kegagalan pimpinan parti untuk mempertahankan kepentingan masyarakat India telah menyebabkan pengundi India beralih kepada puak pembakang dan hasilnya BN hilang kuasa 2/3 dalam Dewan Rakyat.

Cabaran yang sangat penting dalam pilihanraya umum akan datang ialah, bagaimanakah MIC hendak membawa kembali pengundi India mengundi BN. Dalam pilihanraya yang lepas, MIC di bawah kepimpinan Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu telah kalah teruk sehingga presiden parti dan ramai pemimpin kanan hilang kerusi Dewan Rakyat. Kekalahan tersebut walaupun bersifat kolektif di bawah payung BN namun kepimpinan parti terutamanya Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu wajar mengambil tanggungjawab. Itu yang sebenarnya dilakukan oleh pemimpin parti komponen lain di mana mereka pergi secara terhormat. Tetapi dalam MIC Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu walaupun telah menerima mesej yang jelas agar berundur masih enggan berbuat sedemikian malah memberikan pelbagai justifikasi yang tidak masuk akal. Beliau masih bercakap tentang tanggungjawabnya pada hal selama 31 tahun tanggungjawab yang sedang didendangkan kini telah gagal dilaksanakan. Malah beliau adalah faktor utama penyebab kegagalan masyarakat India dalam meningkatkan keupayaan ekonomi.

Sekiranya BN ingin mendapatkan semula sokongan masyarakat India, Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu perlu berundur SEGERA dan menyerahkan tampuk pentadbiran parti kepada Timbalan Presiden bagi membolehkan pemangku presiden melaksanakan reformasi dalaman dengan strategi politik yang memenuhi aspirasi politik golongan muda mengikut perkembangan semasa.

Sekiranya Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu berundur pada penghujung tahun 2011, pemangku presiden tidak mempunyai tempoh yang cukup untuk melakukan rombakan dalaman dan kemungkinan besar akan berdepan dengan rebutan kuasa dalam parti kerana pemilihan parti akan berlangsung dalam tahun 2012. Kerakusan untuk berkuasa dari kalangan sesetengah individu sehingga sanggup menjadi ahli CWC MIC melalui pintu belakang akan menyebabkan MIC berada di ambang perpecahan sekaligus akan menjejaskan peluang BN. Bagaimana pula kalau Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu menggunakan alasan pilihanraya umum telah hampir bagi menangguhkan perletakan jawatan beliau nanti?

BN hari ini perlu mengambil pendirian yang jelas akan arah tuju perancangan politik bagi memastikan komponen parti meneruskan agenda perubahan. Perubahan dalam MIC tidak akan berlaku selagi Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu enggan berundur pada kadar SEGERA. Lagipun beliau hanya menyatakan akan berundur lapan atau sembilan bulan lebih awal tetapi tidak ada kepastian akan niat sebenar. BAGAIMANA KALAU BELIAU BUAT TAK TAHU BILA SAMPAI BULAN AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011 nanti?

BN harus membuat pilihan, siapa yang hendak di dahulukan, Pengundi atau Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu? Ini kerana implikasi politik kepada BN adalah amat tinggi sekiranya Dato’ Seri S.Samy Vellu masih memegang jawatan presiden semasa Dewan Rakyat dibubarkan untuk pilihanraya umum ke 13. Cukup dengan imej beliau untuk menjatuhkan BN dari Putrajaya.