KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Sunday he was "not bothered" by a call by People's Progressive Party (PPP) president Datuk M. Kayveas to the nine ministers involved in the memorandum controversy to resign from the Cabinet.

He said only Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was entitled to give advice to the nine ministers.

"We know what we are doing. The Prime Minister knows what our problems are. We are not looking for advice from other parties. The Prime Minister's advice is good enough...what he says, we will follow," he said after presenting the President's Merit Awards to 517 Tamil school students who scored 7As in last year's UPSR examination at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

Samy Vellu, who is also the MIC president, said this when asked to comment on Kayveas' statement yesterday that the nine ministers should resign for going against the spirit of the Barisan Nasional.

The memorandum, which asked for a review of laws affecting the rights of non-Muslims, was signed and submitted by nine non-Muslim Cabinet ministers to Abdullah last Wednesday. They included Samy Vellu.

It provoked strong criticisms of the ministers by leaders of political parties and non-governmental organisations.

Abdullah met five of the ministers early yesterday morning, who included Samy Vellu, following which the ministers retracted the memorandum.

The Prime Minister said he considered the issue closed and urged everyone particularly politicians to stop harping on it, adding the ministers were free to raise any issues for discussion within the Cabinet however sensitive.

"I don't want to discuss anything about the memorandum now...but what is in my heart, I would bring up to the Cabinet," said Samy Vellu.

As for Kayveas, he said: "Who cares about him? Nobody bothers about him. We nine ministers, we see the Prime Minister because we are ministers. He is not a minister.

"Since we are ministers we have the avenue to meet the PM any time we want. He (Kayveas) is not a minister and that is his problem. He should ask the PM to appoint him as a minister."

-- BERNAMA