Perikatan Nasional leaders have not held any official talks on the possibility of MIC joining the coalition, Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) president P Punithan said today.
In a statement, he said any such move must be first brought to PN’s top leadership.
“Talking about this is premature. It is not my concern if there have been any informal talks. I can only take a position if the matter is raised at the PN Supreme Council,” he said.
Punithan said PN made decisions based on consensus and MIPP must be consulted first as the sole Indian-based party within the coalition before any decision is made about MIC.
He said MIC had not said clearly whether it was planning to join PN and it was up to MIC to clarify its stance.
“Let MIC declare whether they want to talk to Pakatan Harapan or PN, or join a third bloc,” he said.
Punithan said although he has a good relationship with MIC president SA Vigneswaran, they have not spoken about it.
“I won’t comment on whether working with MIC would cause seat fights or weaken unity in PN. This is because what the MIC president said can be interpreted in many ways,” he said.
Punithan noted that on July 31, Vigneswaran had issued a statement saying MIC would cooperate with the unity government to support the 13th Malaysia Plan.
“That carries a lot of meaning and Vigneswaran must be asked whether he wants to talk with PH or PN, or remain within Barisan Nasional,” he said.
MIC’s future has been under scrutiny after deputy president M Saravanan said the party’s direction would be decided at its annual general meeting in October.
In an interview with Utusan Malaysia, Saravanan said MIC felt like an “unwanted guest” in the unity government with no posts in the government despite having senior political figures like himself as party leaders.
Following that, BN chairman and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said MIC was guaranteed a better future by staying with BN.
Earlier today, PAS said it was open to working with MIC and MCA under PN, as long as the coalition’s top leadership agreed. PAS‘s non-Muslim wing also expressed support for renewing ties with MIC.
