FORMER Cameron Highlands lawmaker Sivarraajh Chandran has been sacked from MIC’s Central Working Committee (CWC) effective June 10, a source said.

His termination letter was sighted by The Malaysian Insight. Attempts to contact Sivaraajh have not been successful.

A source close to Sivarrajh said no reason was given for his termination but it was reported that he was sacked from the CWC because he did not attend the “Madani Government: Educational Development and Future of Indians” programme held in Shah Alam last Saturday.

He was appointed to the CWC after he lost the party elections for the vice-president’s post in 2021.

Sivarraajh won the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat with a 597-vote majority in the 2018 general election (GE14). However, the Election Court declared the victory null and void after he was proven to have committed corrupt practices to induce voters to give him their support.

He was was to contest in the Padang Serai seat in GE15 but the election for the parliamentary seat was postponed after Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate M. Karupaiya died just days before polling day.

He later agreed to withdraw his candidacy from the seat after Barisan Nasional and PH became partners through the formation of the unity government. 

Sivarraajh was appointed to the Senate in March this year.

Meanwhile, MIC secretary-general R.T. Rajasekaran confirmed with The Malaysian Insight that Sivarraajh is no longer a member of the CWC.

He, however, said Sivarraajh was neither sacked nor terminated, just removed from the position by the party president S.A. Vigneswaran. 

“We have senators who are in attendance in the CWC who have not been appointed. This is not something new.

“Since he has now been appointed a senator, he can now attend CWC meetings while we can appoint someone else who can contribute to the party as well as CWC,” he added. 

Rajasekaran said that Sivarraajh can still attend CWC meetings even if he was removed as a member.

“He was appointed to the CWC by the party president. 

“The whole reason for appointing somebody is so that they can contribute to the CWC and the party. 

“Since he is already sitting there, his position can be filled up by another person,” Rajasekaran said, adding that there are no issues arising from Sivarraajh’s removal. – June 13, 2023.