Turmoil in MIC Batu Caves over candidate

Turmoil in MIC Batu Caves over candidate

K Kabilan | Feb 18, 08 3:38pm

MIC members in Batu Caves are unhappy with the choice of the party’s candidate to contest for the state seat in the coming elections and staged a protest this evening to express their disappointment. Their unhappiness is due to party president S Samy Vellu’s decision to nominate an outside candidate to contest there. The MIC divisions in Batu Caves want a local candidate to represent them. It is widely tipped that Puchong-based MIC central working committee member T Mohan will replace incumbent V Jagarasah (photo), a two-term representative. The party is expected to make an official announcement on its candidates by Thursday. However, the local divisions here want MIC Gombak division chief G Jayakumar to be named as the party’s choice. A division leader from Batu Caves told Malaysiakini today that several of them visited Samy Vellu this morning to appeal for Jayakumar to be nominated instead of an outside candidate. "Samy Vellu however told us off and asked us to support his nominee, whom he said would be Mohan," said the division leader, who wished to remain anonymous. "He said Mohan was the best candidate for the seat. In fact he warned us that if we don’t support his candidate, he would just give the seat to Umno," he added.