Updated 4:50pm, 13 April 2009
KUALA LUMPUR, 13 April 2009: The reported dissatisfaction over MIC appointees in the cabinet would be discussed at the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting on 16 April, said MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu.
He also denied that the party had sought a senatorship for him to be appointed to the cabinet as alleged by a news portal, saying it was “not my style”.
“We will listen to the views of all the leaders before a decision is made. I will also seek an appointment with the prime minister,” he said in a statement here today.
Samy Vellu was commenting on news reports quoting an unnamed source that the MIC was studying a proposal to withdraw its lone minister and two deputy ministers from the cabinet, in protest over the lack of importance accorded to the Indian community.
The report also said the MIC had requested for a senior portfolio, namely the post of works minister, but it was rejected.
To this, the party president said it was the decision of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. He said, in future, the prime minister would consider allocating a senior ministerial portfolio to the MIC.
On a news portal report which claimed the MIC wanted to pull out its representatives in the Cabinet because he (Samy Vellu) was not appointed a minister, he described it as lies.
On what transpired between him and Najib, two days before the prime minister announced his cabinet line-up, Samy Vellu said he only submitted the names of MIC secretary-general Datuk Dr S Subramaniam for the minister’s post, and Datuk SK Devamany and Datuk M Saravanan for the posts of deputy ministers.
He denied mentioning about a senatorship.— Bernama
