| Yang Berhormat Senator Dato' G. Palanivel |
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|---|---|
| 8th President of the Malaysian Indian Congress | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 6 December 2010 |
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| Deputy | Dato' Dr. S. Subramaniam |
| Preceded by | Dato' Seri S. Samy Vellu |
| Constituency | Senator |
| Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Modernisation and Management, Public Administration, Public Complaints |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office August 9, 2011 |
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| Constituency | Senator |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Hulu Selangor |
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| In office 1990–2008 |
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| Succeeded by | Dr. Zainal Abidin Ahmad |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1949 |
| Political party | Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) part of Barisan Nasional |
| Spouse(s) | Kanagam Palanivel |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Malaya Bachelor of Arts |
| Occupation | Senator |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Website | http://www.gpalanivel.com/ |
Dato' Palanivel s/o. Govindasamy (Tamil: பழனிவேல் கோவிந்தசாமி, born 1949), commonly known as Dato' G. Palanivel, is currently Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. He held his last position in the Malaysian Government as the Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities. His previously held the position as the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Deputy Minister of Welfare and Family Development of Malaysia. In the March 8, 2008 general elections, he was defeated in his bid for another five year term as a Member of Parliament. He was appointed as Senator in May 2010 and became the Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities. On December 6th 2010, he became the President of the Malaysian Indian Congress, which is a member of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional. On July 30, 2011, the Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that Dato' G. Palanivel to be appointed as Minister in the PM's Department on the MIC General Assembly and on August 9, 2011 Dato' G. Palanivel took the oath of office to become the minister.
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Palanivel obtained a Bachelor of Arts from University of Malaya in 1972, majoring in History. Initially he became a teacher at the Goon Institute in Kuala Lumpur, and then at Maktab Adabi in Kuantan. In the same year as his graduation, he was elected Secretary of Petaling Branch of Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a political party which is part of the ruling coalition. He has been with the party since 1968.
He moved on to become a Research Assistant at the Muzium Negara (National Museum). In 1974, he went back to Penang to join the Consumer Association of Penang. There he rose to the position of Executive Director. His next career move was to join Bernama as a journalist in 1977. There he was elevated to become the Economic News Editor. It was during this period he was invited to become a Press Secretary to the Minister of Works who was (and is) also the President of MIC. That set the stage for the crucial take-off in his political carrier. He was chosen as a candidate in the country's general elections in 1990 and had won every single election as a Member of Parliament ever since until his loss in the March 8, 2008 elections when a tidal wave of voter sentiment against the ruling coalition came to the fore that resulted in the loss of four states out of thirteen to the opposition and in the loss of two-third majority in the Parliament.
Positions in the Government commenced with Palanivel being appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of National Unity. He rose further to become the Deputy Minister of Rural Development of Malaysia from 1999 until 2004 when he was made the Deputy Minister of Welfare and Family Development. He continued as the Deputy Minister until his defeat in the March 2008 general elections.
Palanivel also had a stint in the corporate circle as a Business Adviser to Sports Toto and as Director of Telecoms Malaysia, Usha Martin and the Maharaja Network of Sri Lanka. 222
In June 2006, Palanivel, previously a Vice President of MIC, entered a new era of top level MIC leadership by defeating a 27 year incumbent, Dato' S. Subramaniam, to become the new Deputy President of MIC. He retained his position in the MIC Elections concluded on September 12, 2009.[1] Samy Vellu had officially announced that he will be retiring from politics in the year 2012.
Palanivel's position hitherto has been a Deputy Minister from 1999 until March 2008 when he failed to secure his parliamentary seat in the 2008 elections. Following the massive defeat of MIC representatives in the 2008 general elections, MIC's top leadership is conspicuously absent in the cabinet of the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional that is made up of largely race based parties dominated by the Malay based UMNO. It is the more junior members of MIC leadership who won in the General Elections who hold one ministerial and two deputy ministerial posts allocated for the party. Moreover in the April 2009 new government line-up, MIC's representation had been reduced.
Although the Barisan Nasional coalition won the 2008 general elections, it lost its previous eminent of position of securing parliamentary seats exceeding two-third majority. In the same elections, serious gains including capturing of 5 states out the total of 13 have been made by the alternative coalition namely Pakatan Rakyat that comprises mainly multi-racial parties. Political analysts have commented that the electorate preference is shifting from mono-racial parties to multi-racial parties.
On 3 May 2010, G. Palanivel was appointed as a Senator in the Parliament Upper House.
Palanivel returned to the federal cabinet portfolio and was appointed Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities after a minor Cabinet reshuffle on 4 June 2010.
On 6 December 2010, G. Palanivel appointed as 8th MIC President succeeding Samy Vellu who held the post for 31 years.