KUALA LUMPUR – Umno will carve a path for MIC to contest in Pulai during the upcoming 15th general election (GE15) only if the party, led by Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran, is willing to accede to a “barter system”.
Johor Umno deputy chief Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said that MIC must give in and stand back for Umno to vie for the Tapah parliamentary seat as the majority of voters in the area are Malay.
“I agreed to give way to MIC in Pulai, so we must have a barter system in place,” he said in a Facebook post earlier today.
“Umno put up the Pulai seat, so MIC should hand over Tapah and make way for Umno to contest in the constituency, which has a lot of Malay voters. Only then (will things be) fair and in line with the family spirit in BN (Barisan Nasional).”
Nur Jazlan, who is also Pulai Umno division chief, asserted that he is optimistic about BN securing a win if party candidates are able to compete for the Tapah MP post as Malay voters are currently confident in the party’s ability and “excellent” track record.
“BN has an advantage because we can defend the Tapah seat but MIC might not win in Pulai,” he claimed.
He added that MIC must also negotiate the Pulai seat with MCA as he had previously offered MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong the chance to contest in the area as a BN candidate.
“I have to respect and give face to MCA because 40% of voters in Pulai are Chinese while Indians make up only 12% (in the constituency),” he said, assuring that he is willing to facilitate any arrangements made between the two parties on the matter.
He also said Johor MIC information chief S. Deva was “brave” for stepping forward as a potential Pulai MP candidate, noting that the candidacy had originally been offered to the president or his deputy.
However, the former Pulai MP said that MIC appears to be “not serious” in accepting the offer.
He stressed that since Pulai is a “tough” seat which can only be won by a “heavyweight” contestant, MIC should put aside its “kerusi lipat (folded chairs) culture”, which he claimed the party had previously practised.
The culture, he explained, refers to how parties will request for seats to contest in and upon losing, candidates will “fold their chairs” and ask for other seats. – The Vibes, September 5, 2022
