KUALA LUMPUR:MIC has questioned the removal of Tan Sri Annuar Musa as the Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general yesterday without consultation with all BN component parties.

MIC president Tan Sri S. A. Vigneswaran said the party was also not informed about UMNO secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan’s appointment to replace Annuar.

However, he opined that the removal was legitimate and that there is no requirement in the BN constitution that the removal cannot be done without consultation with the component parties.

“...the removal of Tan Sri Annuar Musa is legitimate, but you cannot appoint anybody as a secretary-general unless it is done through BN’s supreme council (MT). Sacking can but (new) appointment cannot, it can be only done at MT BN,” he told Bernama when contacted today.

It was reported that Annuar, who is also Federal Territories Minister and Ketereh MP, was removed as the BN secretary-general yesterday, and Ahmad Maslan was appointed to the position.

BN is led by UMNO with the other component parties being MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS).

Meanwhile,, MCA also expressed surprise about Annuar's removal as BN secretary-general, saying  the component parties were not consulted nor the decision made by the BN MT.

"In MCA's view, any appointment to a post in BN, it must be done based on BN's constitution and according to convention, should be tabled and a consensus reached  in a BN MT meeting,” the party said in a statement.

-- BERNAMA