Former MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and three others will file an appeal to the Federal Court against the ruling made by the Court of Appeal yesterday.

"I believe any decision by the federal court will set the direction and serve as a reference for any political party," MIC vice president Tan Sri S. Balakrishnan told a media conference here today.

Yesterday, the court of appeal rejected an appeal by Palanivel, Balakrishnan, MIC vice president Datuk S. Sothinathan and former MIC secretary-general A. Prakash Rao to set aside the Registrar of Society's (RoS) directive to the party to hold a fresh election.

A three-member panel chaired by justice Datuk Aziah Ali had ruled that the RoS did not act excessively or beyond its jurisdiction when issuing the directive.

Balakrishnan also said Palanivel would hold an Interim 2009 Central Working Committee meeting within 48 hours to set the date for the re-election of the president's post.