Ramalingam may lose MIC membership for taking RoS to court

PETALING JAYA: MIC strategic director A.K. Ramalingam (pic) may lose his membership for taking the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to court and going against the party’s 2009 Central Working Committee decision.

Party vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan said this was because Ramalingam had gone against the MIC constitution when he filed for a judicial review on Tuesday against RoS director-general Mohammad Razin Abdullah to quash the latter’s directive for MIC to hold fresh elections. The RoS had declared that the 2013 party elections were null and void.

“There are three ways one can lose his or her membership,” he said.

“First is if you take the party to court.

“Second, if you go to court against the CWC’s decision.

“Third, if you go to court without consulting the CWC,” he said, adding that as the 2009 CWC had agreed to comply with the RoS directive, he was unsure how Ramalingam could still be a party member after what he did.

According to Saravanan, Section 91 of the MIC constitution said that every member shall be bound by the CWC’s decision in matters relating to his rights, obligations, duties and privileges as a member of the Congress.

“It further says that if a member resorts to court proceedings in respect of his rights, obligations, duties and privileges or on behalf of any other members or in respect of the rendering or meaning of the provisions of this Constitution without first referring to the CWC or in violation of any decision or directive of the CWC, he shall also cease to be a member of the Congress and shall not be entitled to exercise any of the rights of a member.”

Ramalingam’s action came days after party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam had agreed to abide by the RoS directive and hold re-elections.

At Putrajaya, Dr Subramaniam said Ramalingam acted as an individual when he took on the RoS.

“This is not the party’s decision but his own,” said Dr Subramaniam at a press conference before the Health Ministry’s post-Cabinet meeting yesterday.

He reiterated that going to the courts might not be the most suitable method to resolve the problem as it was time consuming.

“The court may make a decision after a few years, but I don’t know if there will still be a party by then,” he said.

Dr Subramaniam added that everyone should abide by the RoS’ directive as it was a neutral government body.

“The winner (of the election) brings the party forward. That is the best way in a democratic system.”