MIC fields local boy to wrest back Teluk Kemang - The Star

GE13: MIC fields local boy to wrest back Teluk Kemang

By A. LETCHUMANAN
letchu@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC will be fielding “local boy” Datuk V.S. Mogan for the Teluk Kemang parliamentary seat in a bid to win back the party's traditional stronghold.

Mogan, who is currently a Negri Sembilan executive councillor, won the Jeram Padang state seat in 2008.

The party leadership felt Mogan fits the “local boy” requirement of the Teluk Kemang electorate, who have traditionally voted for MIC candidates except in the last general election.

Mogan is said to be one of two new candidates fielded to contest the party's nine parliamentary seats.

The other new face is Shah Alam MIC division deputy chairman A. Prakash Rao, who is slotted to contest the Subang parliamentary seat.

Prakash, a Sri Murugan Centre director, is said to have been working on the ground for the past two months and is believed to have made inroads in the Opposition-held seat.

There had been calls for former MIC vice-president Datuk S. Sothinathan to be reconsidered for the Teluk Kemang seat but this was shot down by the party leadership. Sothinathan had served in the constituency between 2000 and 2008.

MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, will contest in Cameron Highlands, while Datuk S.K. Devamany will move to Sungai Siput.

Palanivel confirmed the list had been finalised with the Barisan Nasional leadership.

Palanivel, however, declined to reveal the names but MIC officials said the list had already been endorsed by Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

In 2008, Palanivel, who was then MIC deputy president, lost in his bid for a fifth term as Hulu Selangor MP when he lost by a mere 198 votes to PKR's Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin Ah-mad.

In a by-election following Dr Zainal Abidin's death due to brain cancer in March 2010, MIC took the seat back through P. Kamalanathan.

Kamalanathan has been nominated to defend the seat.

In Sungai Siput, Devamany, a party vice-president, is expected to face MP Dr Michael Jayakumar of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, who had defeated then MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu in 2008.

Meanwhile, MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam is set to defend the Segamat seat.

Another party vice-president, Datuk M. Saravanan, currently Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister, is slotted to be retained in Tapah.

An MIC official said there were discussions to exchange the Kota Raja parliamentary seat with a seat from Kedah but this had yet to be confirmed.

The official said MIC secretary-general Datuk S. Murugessan, whose name had been tossed about for several seats, was believed to have decided to stay out.