MALAYSIAN INDIAN CONGRESS (MIC) PROTESTS CONSPIRACY CHARGE
(as reported by NewKerala.com news channel)

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 14: The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has denied the charge that its chief S. Samy Vellu and his family members were involved in a conspiracy leading to the gunning down of party leader S. Krishnasamy.

Krishnasamy, a member of the Tengorrah assembly, was shot dead Friday.

Vellu, who is the Malaysian works minister, and his son have been named as conspirators in photocopied notices handwritten in Bahasa Malaysia that were found pasted on the front door of the party's headquarters in Medan Kidd as well as on several food stalls and buildings nearby.

The notices named Maika Holdings CEO S. Vell Paari, MIC Youth chief S.A. Vikneswaran and one Loga, said to be from the MIC's Sungai Siput unit, as co-conspirators.

Written underneath the names of Vell Paari (spelt Vel Pari in the notice) and Vikneswaran were the words "Pay Ringgit 3,000 can kill people easily", The New Straits Times reported Monday.

Calling himself "Rakyat Malaysia", the author claimed that Vellu had given Krishnasamy a two-week deadline to withdraw from the general election or face serious consequences.

The author also claimed that he had been an MIC member for 18 years.

MIC's Perak unit chairman G. Rajoo lodged a police report Sunday after being alerted about the notices.

Rajoo said the notices were the work of those who were "out to sully the party's name"."These are crazy allegations.

The MIC does not do things like this. Somebody is trying to destroy the party's reputation," he said.

Rajoo also dismissed the possibility that it was the work of an MIC member."No MIC member would do this.

Samy Vellu is like a father to all MIC members. How can a son go against his father in such a way?"

The conspiracy charge came even as an unnamed MIC leader said he too had received a death threat the same day. He said the caller spoke briefly and hung up.

Threats have been made against several senior MIC leaders. They have, however, not logged police complaints, dismissing them as an "occupational hazards", the newspaper said.

Malaysia's police chief, Inspector-General Musa Hassan, Sunday said Krishnasamy's killer had not been identified so far.

He refuted an earlier statement by Deputy Minister of Internal Security Mohamad Johari Baharum that the murder suspect had been identified.

Hasan said all they had was a description of the suspect and a photofit created from information gleaned from witnesses.

--- IANS

courtesy of NewKerala.com