CRACKS have seemingly emerged in the Barisan Nasional (BN) after a red-faced MIC is reportedly said to feel short-changed over seat allocations or certain ‘disagreements’ between the top leadership on the future of the coalition if it wins the forthcoming 15 General Elections (GE15) on Nov 19.
Whatever the reason is, truth will prevail later today (Nov 2) as the Indian-based party is said to be holding an emergency central working committee (CWC) meeting to discuss the party’s future.
Recall that last night (Nov 1), MIC skipped – or ‘boycotted’ in a harsher word – the announcement of BN candidates for GE15 at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur by coalition chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“The turn of events is said to be linked to certain ‘disagreements’ between the top leadership on the future of the coalition if it wins the elections,” a source told The Star. It is believed that only three MIC leaders may be named as GE15 candidates instead of the 12 seats requested by the party.
During last night’s event, Zahid announced at least 10 MIC candidates for parliamentary seats. They are:
- Padang Serai: Datuk C. Sivarraajh
- Sg Siput: Tan Sri S. Vigneswaran (MIC president)
- Tapah: Datuk Seri M. Saravanan (MIC deputy president)
- Teluk Intan: Datuk T. Murugiah
- Hulu Selangor: Datuk T. Mohan
- Kota Raja: Kajendran Doraisamy
- Kuala Langat: Datuk Mohana Muniandy Raman
- Batu: Datuk A. Kohilan Pillay
- Port Dickson: Datuk P. Kamalanathan
- Segamat: Ramasamy Muthusamy
According to the Free Malaysia Today (FMT) news portal, the seats offered to the Indian-based parties – Makkal Sakti, Indian Progressive Front (IPF) and Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) – which are considered as “friends of BN” could have irked MIC.
MIC has strongly opposed to these parties joining BN, arguing that the BN constitution states that any admission must be a unanimous decision.
Makkal Sakti president Datuk Seri Datuk Seri R.S. Thanenthiran was offered the Nibong Tebal seat which was traditionally given to Gerakan when it was in BN, while IPF president Datuk T. Loganathan will stand in Jelutong. Kimma president Datuk Seri Syed Ibrahim Kader has been offered the Puchong seat.
“As for the party’s Sungai Buloh seat which has been given to Khairy Jamaluddin now, MIC leaders apparently wanted Puchong and Batu but only got Batu. Other than this, they got most of what they wanted,” one insider told FMT.
Meanwhile, The Vibes news portal described the failure of MIC leaders, namely its president Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran and deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, to turn out at yesterday’s BN candidate announcement event as “can be read as a confirmation that the Indian-based party is planning to sit out GE15”.
Internal friction is said to be brewing with the BN coalition as Zahid has tightened his grip on the party by reneging on his pledge that UMNO’s ‘poster boy’ Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob will be retained as the Prime Minister should BN win the election
Candidates linked to Ismail Sabri were dropped from the party’s line-up, including four-term Arau MP and caretaker Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and caretaker Communications and Multimedia Minister and incumbent Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
If this is not bad enough, candidates were reportedly given the surat watikah (candidate appointment letters) alongside surat aku janji that mandates Zahid to form the next government. – Nov 2, 2022
