The Kedah Umno liaison committee has no qualms in swapping seats with other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties if the top leadership endorse it.

Its chairman, Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, said he would abide by any decision made by BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak as the matter was within the latter’s ambit and discretion.

Commenting on the MIC’s request to swap one of its seat in Selangor to another, either Kedah or Penang, Ahmad Bashah said it was still premature to discuss the matter as the date of the next general election was still not known.

However, he commended MIC president G Palanivel for his openness.

“The atmosphere of the 13th general election is not like the previous general election,” he told reporters after handing over cash aid and gifts to 300 elderly, the poor and children from the Indian community in conjunction with Deepavali in Padang Serai last night.

MIC, which won just three out of nine parliamentary seats it contested in the 2008 general election, is seeking to swap one of its seats in Selangor to another, either Kedah or Penang.

Palanivel was quoted as saying that both states had a sizeable Indian population but without any parliamentary seat contested by the Indian-based party.

It is learned that the MIC hopes to contest the Padang Serai parliamentary seat in Kedah in exchange for the Kapar parliamentary seat in Selangor.

A Kedah MIC leader said the Padang Serai seat allocated to the MCA could be replaced with the Sungai Petani parliamentary seat, which has about 35,000 Chinese voters.

However, if the seat swap is approved, Kedah Umno will lose one seat as it had been contesting the Sungai Petani seat for several general elections.

Meanwhile, Kedah Umno liaison committee deputy chairperson Mukhriz Mahathir also felt that it was premature to discuss the seat swap.

Speaking after officially opening the Padang Serai MIC Youth open house at Padang Taman Kucai, Lunas near Padang Serai yesterday, he said the matter ought to be decided by the BN top leadership.

- Bernama