NOTHING will ever shake the solidarity among Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties no matter what, said UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“There are attempts to undermine BN’s camaraderie but the Melaka state election proved what the coalition is capable of if we are united.
“The people gave BN a solid majority, with MIC’s sole representative for the Gadek state seat winning convincingly,” he said in a Facebook post, after officiating MIC’s annual general assembly today.
Under the Perikatan Nasional Government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, both UMNO and MIC had several misunderstandings when it came to their cooperation with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
While UMNO was openly antagonistic towards Bersatu, MIC decided to support Perikatan citing the former’s own resolution of only withdrawing support from Perikatan in the next general election.
Some even speculated that Zahid was attempting to court another Indian-based party, Malaysia Makkal Sakthi Party into the BN fold after the tiff with MIC leaders.
Today, however, the UMNO supremo pushed forth with a conciliatory tone and said that BN component parties’ ties continue to grow in strength against all odds.
“Of course, in our political struggles, there are bound to be issues that will test our cooperation but never underestimate the strength of our union.
“Our collective aim is crystal clear. We want to become the number one choice of the people again in the next general election,” the Bagan Datuk MP stressed.
Please give us winnable seats, MIC asks
On related matters, MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran pleaded with Zahid, who is also BN chairman, to give his party winnable seats in the 15th General Election.
“MIC is open to contests in traditional or new constituencies, based on current political needs. However, do give us party parliamentary or state seats where we will have a fighting chance.
“Don’t give us seats where we will surely lose because of factors beyond our control,” Free Malaysia Today reported the former Dewan Negara president as saying.
With that said, Vigneswaran urged BN leadership to allocate the seats as soon as possible so that parties can appoint coordinators there to prepare for polls. – Dec 12, 2021.
