Kuala Lumpur:
Malaysian-Indian Congress president Samy Vellu's men have swept nearly all the top party posts including that of president and vice-president in the organisational polls, which took place amid intense infighting.
Incumbent G Palanivel retained the MIC deputy president's post after defeating Vellu's arch rival S Subramaniam and former vice-president S Sothinathan at the party elections. MIC is an important component of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional.
Two other ethnic Indian leaders, deputy minster in the Prime Minister's Department S K Devamany and Federal Territories deputy minister Saravanan were elected MIC vice-presidents.
The party's central working committee is also mostly won by Samy Vellu's people, online news reports said.
Earlier, premier Najib Razak in his speech at the MIC annual general assembly called on on Malaysians to cooperate and unite among the various races to make the country a successful nation. He noted that the ruling coalition Barisan was not a marriage of convenience like the opposition alliance but a political institution, which had accomplished much for the nation.
Najib noted that the key performance index (KPI) for MIC would be to regain the support of the minority ethnic Indian community.
Samy Vellu, who has been at the helm of MIC for over three decades and was re-elected party president for another term in April said that he was not popular, and whatever he had done and was doing for the ethnic Indian community, was not aimed at becoming a popular leader.
"I am not popular...I do not work to become popular. I work for the people," he said when asked to comment on the speech by Prime Minister Najib when opening MIC's 63rd annual general assembly here. Najib, who is Barisan chairman, said that in a parliamentary democracy, the people had the absolute power and it was they who determine BN's fate in every election.
"I am not a man who wants to be popular among the people. But I want to be loved by them (people) for my services and contributions," Samy Vellu was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying on the sidelines of the general assembly.
Incumbent G Palanivel retained the MIC deputy president's post after defeating Vellu's arch rival S Subramaniam and former vice-president S Sothinathan at the party elections. MIC is an important component of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional.
Two other ethnic Indian leaders, deputy minster in the Prime Minister's Department S K Devamany and Federal Territories deputy minister Saravanan were elected MIC vice-presidents.
The party's central working committee is also mostly won by Samy Vellu's people, online news reports said.
Earlier, premier Najib Razak in his speech at the MIC annual general assembly called on on Malaysians to cooperate and unite among the various races to make the country a successful nation. He noted that the ruling coalition Barisan was not a marriage of convenience like the opposition alliance but a political institution, which had accomplished much for the nation.
Najib noted that the key performance index (KPI) for MIC would be to regain the support of the minority ethnic Indian community.
Samy Vellu, who has been at the helm of MIC for over three decades and was re-elected party president for another term in April said that he was not popular, and whatever he had done and was doing for the ethnic Indian community, was not aimed at becoming a popular leader.
"I am not popular...I do not work to become popular. I work for the people," he said when asked to comment on the speech by Prime Minister Najib when opening MIC's 63rd annual general assembly here. Najib, who is Barisan chairman, said that in a parliamentary democracy, the people had the absolute power and it was they who determine BN's fate in every election.
"I am not a man who wants to be popular among the people. But I want to be loved by them (people) for my services and contributions," Samy Vellu was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying on the sidelines of the general assembly.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
