MIC deputy president G Palanivel has been described by former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo as a "problematic" candidate if he was fielded in the Hulu Selangor by-election.

NONE "If Palanivel wins the by-election, then Human Resource Minister Dr S Subramaniam will have to step down from his cabinet post," said Mohamad Khir (left ), referring that Palanivel is ranked higher within MIC.

"This might not go down well with Subramaniam's supporters," he pointed out, adding that it might create a rift within the Indian-based party.

On the other hand, he said that if Palanivel loses for the second time, it could be very damaging to his political career.

"It would be better for him to wait for the next general election," said Mohamad Khir.

Mohamad Khir however feels that MIC should field a fresh face in the race to attract the 19 percent Indian voters in the Hulu Selangor constituency.

He however stressed that Umno is not eyeing the seat although the constituency is a Malay-majority area and that this might not go down well with certain section of the electorates.

"That is why BN has to explain to the voters," he explained.

PM to have final say

najib tun razak MIC has confirmed that they are proposing Palanivel as the candidate for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat but the final decision lies with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (right ).

On the other hand, Hulu Selangor Umno division chief Mohamed Idris Abu Bakar said that his party had asked to contest the seat since 1980 to no avail.

"Umno had always wanted the seat back as this is the desire of the grassroots," he said when contacted by Malaysiakini .

The Hulu Selangor seat fell vacant following the death of its parliamentary representative Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad yesterday.

The constituency was a MIC stronghold before Palanivel - a two-term parliamentarian - lost the seat with a razor-thin margin of 198 votes at the 2008 general elections.

It is expected that Pakatan Rakyat will be fielding a candidate from PKR.

Racial card

Although top leaders dismissed claims that race is not a factor in determining their choice of candidate, PKR cannot ignore it if it is to hold on to Hulu Selangor.

Based on the results of the last election, Malay voters appear to be evenly split while the bulk of Chinese and Indian voters favoured PKR.

Fielding a Malay candidate might kick up a storm among certain Indian leaders, while an Indian candidate could drive away the Malay votes.

To compound the problem, it is learnt that the Hulu Selangor PKR division has been afflicted with internal conflicts.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Party - an offshoot of the Hindraf movement - has expressed interest in contesting the seat and its leaders will make a decision on Sunday.

The intense interest in the by-election may see a few independent candidates trying out their luck, as with the case of the Bukit Selambau by-election in Kedah which has a record 13 candidates, 11 of whom are independents.