KUALA LUMPUR: Former MIC President Datuk Seri G Palanivel passed away at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) on Tuesday.
The news was confirmed by MIC sources to Astro Awani.
Palanivel, 76, was appointed as the eighth President of MIC on 6 December 2010, succeeding Tun S Samy Vellu, who held the position for 31 years.
He was appointed as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department under Datuk Seri Najib Razak's administration in 2011.
Palanivel joined Najib's Cabinet in June 2010 as the Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities.
Born on 1 March 1949, Palanivel received higher education at the University of Malaya, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1972.
He then served as a lecturer in Economics and History at Kadir Adabi College in Kuantan before becoming the Executive Director of the Consumers Association of Penang.
He also worked as a research officer at the National Museum for the Bujang Valley Project before joining Bernama in April 1977, where he was appointed News Editor of the Economic Desk in 1984.
Palanivel's political career began in 1987 when he was appointed Press Secretary to Samy Vellu.
In the 1990 General Election, Palanivel contested and won the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat, which he held until he was defeated in the 2008 General Election.
