KUALA LUMPUR – The Barisan Nasional (BN) list of candidates for the 15th general election announced yesterday evening may explain the absence of MIC leaders at the event at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
The inclusion of other Indian-based parties that were given seats has drawn the ire of MIC, which has always portrayed itself as the only party in the coalition to represent the community.
Since Tun S. Samy Vellu’s time as president, MIC has taken an uncompromising stance on being the sole representative of the Indian community in Parliament, under the umbrella of the BN coalition.
Despite receiving the 10 parliamentary seats it had requested from BN, MIC is furious that the Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party (Makkal Sakti), the Indian Progressive Front (IPF), and the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) were also allocated seats.
Makkal Sakti president Datuk Seri R. Thanenthiran will stand in Nibong Tebal, while IPF president Datuk T. Loganathan will contest in Jelutong, and Kimma president Datuk Seri Syed Ibrahim Kader will run in Puchong.
There has been bad blood between MIC and these parties, especially Makkal Sakti and IPF, as the latter is an MIC splinter-party formed after an ugly leadership battle between the late Samy Vellu and the late Tan Sri M.G. Pandithan.
“MIC has always been at the forefront of Indian issues. The agreement was (that) any other Indian group that wants to support BN can do so but they cannot be given seats.
“Being part of MIC is the better way and only way to get a seat in Parliament to represent the Indian community,” a high-placed source said.
MIC’s central working committee will be meeting at 10am today to discuss its present predicament.
“This will include if it could sit out the elections, although this is highly unlikely,” said the source.
During Makkal Sakti’s latest general assembly in September, Thanenthiran urged the BN leadership to provide it with opportunities to run in GE15.
At the time, Thanenthiran told BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the party had capable candidates and was considered among the “Friends of BN”. – The Vibes, November 2, 2022
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