This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on December 10, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: The suit filed by Datuk Seri S Vell Paari against his father Tun S Samy Vellu in the High Court was necessary because the former MIC president has been suffering from dementia brought on by Alzheimer’s disease, said Vell Paari.

In a statement to the media, Vell Paari said that the action he had filed against his father was to protect him against his former mistress, Meeriam Rosaline a/p Edward Paul, who has initiated legal proceedings at the Ipoh High Court against Samy Vellu and Vell Paari.

The former MIC secretary-general said he took legal action simply to ascertain Samy Vellu’s mental condition as he has “poor recall and registration of events”.

“Consequently, my father needs to be assisted in managing his personal and financial affairs,” Vell Paari said.

According to him, the application was compelled by two events — an action filed against him and his father by Meeriam, and the Alzheimer’s which has afflicted the former works minister since 2017.

“Nonetheless, I had been holding off filing the application until now,” he said.

In the statement, Vell Paari denied that he had any differences with his father.

“My father and I have had no personal difficulties or differences in our relationship. In fact towards early 2017, my father authorised me to manage his personal and financial affairs for the benefit of himself and our family.

He also added that his mother and sister are aware of the application.

Vell Paari, 57, named his 82-year-old father as the sole defendant in the originating summons, filed on Dec 2.

He sought for the court to hold an inquiry under Section 52 of the Mental Health Act 2001 to determine whether his father is a mentally disordered person, in documents that were sighted by The Edge Financial Daily.

The case aims to determine when the former senior minister allegedly started to be mentally disordered and whether he can give instruction to his solicitors, and when he could be incapable. It is also aimed at discovering the properties owned by Samy Vellu.

Vell Paari also wants Penang-based Dr Prem Kumar Chandrasekaran, a consultant neuropsychiatrist and head of neurobehavioural medicine at the Penang Adventist Hospital, or other mental health experts to be given medical access to examine his father.

This is so that a medical report could be prepared on Samy Vellu’s mental capacity and his condition pursuant to Section 54 of the Act.

Vell Paari said that in case Samy Vellu is found to be mentally disordered then Vell Paari, along with lawyer Datuk C Vijaya Kumar or anyone else the court deemed fit, be appointed to the committee of his estate.

He also wants the court to determine the powers of the committee, make provisions for costs and expenses, and remuneration be paid to them.

He also wanted to be made a litigant in representing his father.

For this reason, Vell Paari sought to have the inquiry in Kuala Lumpur disposed of before Meeriam’s originating summons and attempt to cross-examine his father is heard.