Written by Chua Sue-Ann (The Edge)
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Negara on Monday, May 3 welcomed four new senators, including MIC deputy president Datuk G Palanivel and former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) youth chief Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor.
The two other newly-appointed senators are Rahim and Co executive chairman Datuk Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman and Pagoh Umno Wanita chief Noriah Mahat.
The four new senators were sworn in Monday morning before Dewan Negara President Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang.
It was widely speculated that Palanivel was appointed senator as part of a “deal” after Barisan Nasional (BN) chose not to field him to contest the recent Hulu Selangor by-election.
Palanivel, who was the four-term Hulu Selangor member of parliament (MP) from 1990 to 2008, was initially expected to be picked for the by-election however at the eleventh hour, BN decided on MIC information chief P Kamalanathan.
On the April 25 polls, Kamalanathan beat Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Datuk Zaid Ibrahim for the parliamentary seat by a 1,725-vote majority.
Ezam meanwhile is the former secretary of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who had left PKR and joined Umno. He has since been a fierce critic of Anwar and PKR.
With the new senatorships, speculation is rife that Palanivel and Ezam would be made deputy ministers after the next cabinet reshuffle.