The Malaysian Insider

UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — The president of the newly-launched Makkal Sakti party, R.S. Thanenthiran (picture), has issued a warning to his political rivals that he will take disciplinary action against six central committee members including the deputy president for tarnishing his image.

However, he said he will leave it to the central committee to make the final decision.

The central committee was supposed to meet today, but it was called off and re-scheduled for Saturday. However, the Saturday meeting was subsequently called off by Thanenthiran, citing safety issue, among others.

"I do not know whether as the president I have the power to take action against my deputy but I leave to the central committee to decide," he told reporters today.

Makkal Sakti was launched last October by Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

It is one of a host of disparate political parties formed from what remained of the Hindraf movement and is currently facing turmoil with a majority of its central committee member calling for its president to quit with immediate effect.

The group of dissidents, led by deputy president A. Vathemurthy, is claiming the backing of more than 15 out of the 27 central committee members.

According to Thanenthiran, the next central committee members’ meeting would be held mid-January, after his return from India.

Thanenthiran said he still believes in having heart-to-heart talks with Vathemurthy and his group to settle the current crisis.

When asked if he was considering stern action against Vathemurthy, Thanenthiran said: “You are focusing on [the] negative approach, but I am interested to look from [a] positive approach... let [me] talk to him first.”

“The negative approach is only my last resort and I leave it to the central committee members to decide,” he said.

Thanenthiran claimed that central committee members have no authority to discuss anything which is inconsistent with the decision of the annual general meeting (AGM).

“Section 9 (4) of the party constitution says that the motion to remove me as the president is inconsistent with the AGM that elected me.

“The central committee members have no power to pass a motion of no-confidence against me,” he added.

Furthermore, Thanenthiran claimed that Vathemurthy, in his enthusiasm to dethrone him, has given a press statement which has been circulated to all central committee members via email.

“Under paragraph three and four of the press statement, he said that I declared that I will not allow the central committee members’ meeting scheduled on Dec 19 to go on.

“Whatever he has stated in paragraph thee and four is not true and a despicable lie against me, to taint my character.

“I deny calling off the meeting until this very moment, where he has threatened that there will be violence and unruliness,” he said.

Thanenthiran also described Vathemurthy as a “king maker” and as having his own agenda to cause violence on Dec 19.

Not only has Vathemurthy’s group asked for police to be on standby at Makkal Sakti’s office in Shah Alam, Thanenthiran said, but CCTVs in the location had been deactivated and membership forms removed without authorisation.

“This poses a further danger to our life and safety. This deputy president has been conducting a campaign by way of press statements harassing me to resign,” he said.

In view of the these circumstances, Thanenthiran stressed that he decided to call off the meeting originally scheduled for this Saturday.

“Any meeting held will be considered illegal,” he said.

Thanenthiran had also made reports with the police in Butterworth and the Registrar of Societies yesterday.

Earlier this morning, Vathemurthy told The Malaysian Insider that Thanenthiran had agreed to have meeting on Saturday instead of Friday.

“We [were] supposed to meet today but they called it off last week and the secretary general said that the central committee members’ meeting will be held on Saturday,” he said.

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