KLANG: When Datuk Seri G. Palanivel (pic) lost the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat in the 2008 general election, some of his supporters around him burst into tears.
But Palanivel remained calm and composed, even consoling his teary supporters by telling them that it was okay and that they should control their emotions.
The former MIC president, who passed away yesterday aged 75, was a man who always kept his cool, even when under pressure.
Palanivel was the MIC deputy president in 2008 when Barisan Nasional lost its grip on five states, including Selangor.
The mild-mannered Palanivel, who joined the MIC in the late ‘60s, was almost the direct opposite of then-party president, the late Tun Samy Vellu, who was known to be a firebrand.
Still, Palanivel was hard as nails and was no pushover, which was perhaps why Samy Vellu, who also lost his Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in 2008, groomed him to take over.
In 2006, he defeated then- incumbent MIC deputy president, the late Tan Sri S. Subramaniam, who had held the position for over 25 years.
Palanivel then took over as the eighth MIC president in 2010 after Samy Vellu’s retirement and helmed the party until 2015.
Born in Penang in 1949, Palanivel was a Universiti Malaya history graduate. He taught in several private institutions before becoming a research assistant at Muzium Negara.
He then moved back to Penang and joined the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) in 1974.
That was where he met his wife, former activist R. Kanagam.
Palanivel always considered Kanagam, a highly intelligent woman, as his pillar of strength.
He joined national news agency Bernama in 1977 and became the economic news editor before leaving to become press secretary to Samy Vellu, who was then Works Minister.
Since then, the two had a mentor-understudy relationship.
In a statement yesterday, current MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran said Samy Vellu was impressed with Palanivel’s media and political strategy abilities.
He added that although he had not been in contact with Palanivel due to the latter’s failing health in recent years, he would always remember how Palanivel had created political opportunities for him.
Vigneswaran said Palanivel was a good example of how one can move up the party hierarchy even without any “political background”.
Palanivel was the MP for Hulu Selangor from 1990 to 2008 and for Cameron Highlands from 2013 to 2018.
He also served as deputy minister in the Rural Development Ministry, Welfare and Family Development Ministry and Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry.
He was then minister in the Prime Minister’s Department as well as the Natural Resources and Environment minister.
He was also a Senator from 2010 to 2013.
Palanivel and Kanagam have four sons and several grandchildren.
The funeral prayers will be held tomorrow (June 19) between 1.30pm and 2.45pm at the family residence in Jalan Bangkung in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
The final rites and cremation are scheduled for 3.30pm the same day at the Sentul Hindu Crematorium.
