(Updated 6:15pm, 29 Jan 2009)

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 Jan 2009: The MIC’s Central Working Committee (CWC) today quashed the decision to expel party veteran Datuk M Muthupalaniappan from the party after accepting his appeal.

Party deputy president Datuk G Palanivel, who announced this after chairing a CWC meeting at the party headquarters here, said the decision was made after taking into consideration many factors, including that Muthupalaniappan was a long-standing member of the party.

However, he said the CWC gave a stern warning to Muthupalaniappan not to make any further statements deemed to be detrimental to the party’s interests.

“If he does so, he will be expelled without warning,” Palanivel told reporters.

The 68-year-old Muthupalaniappan, a former MIC vice-president, was expelled from the party by the MIC Disciplinary Committee in a letter signed by the committee’s chairperson Tan Sri G Vadiveloo after its hearing against Muthupalaniappan on 20 Jan.

Muthupalaniappan was earlier given a show-cause notice by the committee for issuing media statements deemed to be against the interests of the party.

Following his expulsion, Muthupalaniappan appealed against the decision to the party’s all-powerful CWC which deliberated today on the matter.

Palanivel said at today’s meeting, all the CWC members expressed their opinion on the expulsion and they agreed that the decision of the Disciplinary Committee to expel him was right.

“But the CWC took into account many factors, including the fact that he (Muthupalaniappan) was a long-standing member of the party. So, the CWC decided to give him one final chance, that is, his party membership can continue,” he said.

Meanwhile, MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu said that former CWC member K P Samy, who was sacked from MIC in 2008, had been reinstated in the party yesterday.

He said other former party members who were expelled for various reasons would be reinstated in stages. However, Samy Vellu did not say who they were.

Samy Vellu was also asked to comment on Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s statement in Utusan Malaysia today pertaining to A Kugan’s death. The Education Minister was quoted as saying that Samy Vellu should respect the country’s law.

“I am a law-abiding person. No one can coach me on being one. But on the question of maintenance of law, the police are the custodian but as and when cases like Kugan happen, we cannot close our eyes,” said Samy Vellu.

Hishammuddin made the comment following Samy Vellu’s statement that MIC would defend the two deputy ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, Senator T Murugiah and Datuk S K Devamany, who were alleged to have barged into the mortuary of Serdang Hospital on 20 Jan.

Samy Vellu was then commenting on Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar’s statement that Devamany and Murugiah might likely face action, if they were present at the mortuary when the crowd barged into the mortuary. — Bernama