THE MIC today said that while it took heed of the advice from Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, the party will not remain silent when the dignity of the community and principles of coalition politics are at stake.
Its deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said the MIC has always spoken up firmly, consistently, and with principle.
“The real problem is not MIC’s silence, but Umno’s betrayal of coalition trust.
“To now turn around and lecture MIC on ‘speaking up’, when Umno itself bulldozed its coalition partners, misled the Istana, and ignored BN’s own resolutions, is not only unfair, but deeply ironic,” he said.
Yesterday, Mohamad, who is the Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman, advised the MIC leadership to use the BN Supreme Council as a forum to express their views or dissatisfactions with the coalition.
He said the party leadership should not take the shortcut of issuing statements outside the BN Supreme Council for fear of being misunderstood.
“With respect, Tok Mat’s (Mohamad) memory appears rather selective. Allow me to remind him, and the public, of the facts.
“After the 15th General Election, BN was thrown into crisis when Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi unilaterally issued a letter to the Istana, claiming BN’s support for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister.
“This was done without the knowledge, approval, or mandate of the BN Supreme Council.
“When this betrayal came to light, three out of four component parties unanimously agreed that Zahid should step down, and Tok Mat should assume the BN chairmanship,”.
Saravanan said Tok Mat himself agreed, yet when the time came, he remained silent. “The decision was never implemented. If BN’s own resolutions cannot be enforced, what is the point of lecturing others about discussing matters in meetings?”
The Tapah MP said all BN candidates were forced to sign statutory declarations but these were not tabled and endorsed at the BN Supreme Council.
“Were they ever tabled? No. So, I ask, was it not for the BN meeting? If crucial matters are never tabled, and if decisions made in the meeting are never enforced, then what value are these meetings Tok Mat is suddenly defending?”
During the six state elections, Saravanan claimed all seat allocations were made unilaterally.
“How many seats would Umno contest, how many would go to others … all this was decided without BN’s consensus.
“When MIC and MCA were denied two additional seats, was this discussed at the BN Supreme Council? Certainly not,” he said.
He also claimed that Cabinet appointments after GE15 were never tabled or discussed at the BN Supreme Council.
“And when the courts decided that the ‘addendum’ related to Datuk Seri Najib Razak does indeed exist … was it ever discussed at the BN Supreme Council whether the coalition should remain aligned or distance itself from those responsible? Again, there was silence,”.
Saravanan said Tok Mat is a good friend, and he has always held him in high regard. But I cannot ignore the fact that at ‘critical times’, he appears helpless and uncertain, caught in the rumble of internal party conflicts.
“When I see this sudden concern about ‘discussions at BN meetings’ I don’t know whether to cry or laugh. Still, I thank Tok Mat for his advice,” he added. – September 7, 2025
