MIC appoints Ananthan Somasundaram as new secretary-general, replacing Rajasekaran

PETALING JAYA: The MIC has appointed a new secretary-general, replacing RT Rajasekaran following a central working committee meeting on Wednesday night (Aug 7), confirms party president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran.

The new party secretary-general is Datuk Dr Ananthan Somasundaram, the chairman of the Kedah MIC and a former senator.

“It’s a normal thing after the election that we move people about to see who would be more suitable for which posts,” Vigneswaran told The Star on Thursday (Aug 8).

He added that the move did not mean there were any problems.

When contacted, Rajasekaran said he was no longer the party’s secretary-general and that it was “normal for every political party to have such a change.”

When asked, Vigneswaran, who was with Rajesekaran, said the party and the new committee were good and there was no problem.

“We are having lunch together, actually,” he said, referring to Rajasekaran, the new Youth chief Arvind Krishnan and several other committee members.

“He (Rajasekaran) is my ardent supporter lah. He did an excellent job as secretary-general for the election.

“But we are putting somebody else because everybody needs to be trained, and the secretary-general is one of the important positions in the party,” he said.

The party president also hinted at Rajasekaran's future, saying, “Once you have become a secretary general, then it’s about moving up, the next step, and everything.”

When asked, Vigneswaran said Ananthan is being brought from the state to the federal level.

“Everybody must be given a chance.

“It is not just about loyalty or problems, but about providing opportunities for people to take on bigger roles within the party. But we must have multiple choices," he said.