'I went to moon without rocket': Ex-MIC leader joins PAS

Former Negeri Sembilan MIC chairperson L Manickam has “travelled to the moon without using a rocket”.

This is how the former Jeram Padang state assemblyperson described his political expedition from MIC, which he quit last year, to PAS, whose logo is the “moon”.

Incidentally, the logo of PAS’ archnemesis, DAP, is the “rocket”.

According to Manickam (above), he was drawn to the Islamist party because of its “PAS for all” slogan as well as the leadership qualities of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and its non-Muslim supporters wing (DHPP) chief N Balasubramaniam.

“I joined PAS through the DHPP about two weeks ago on July 21.

“I received my membership card on the same day and was appointed as the permanent chairperson of Negeri Sembilan DHPP,” he told Sinar Harian.

Manickam believes that Malaysians of all races have started to accept PAS despite its rivals accusing it of using racial and religious issues to sow divisions for political mileage.

“I am also comfortable with PAS because MIC was with PAS before when Umno cooperated (with PAS) in Muafakat Nasional,” he added, urging others to follow in his footsteps as well.

New alliance

Umno and its BN partners were together with PAS under two different administrations when Muhyiddin Yassin became the prime minister after staging a political coup against the Pakatan Harapan government and later when Ismail Sabri Yaakob succeeded him.

After the last general election in 2022, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi entered into an alliance with Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim to form the current coalition government while PAS, despite having the most number of parliamentary seats, became the opposition.

Last October, Manickam, who joined MIC in 1979, resigned from all party positions, including as the Negeri Sembilan MIC chairperson, MIC Jempol division head and as a member.

At the time, the former exco stated he was disappointed with MIC's decision not to contest in the Jeram Padang state seat as well as the party secretary-general who requested his branch to hold another delegates' meeting due to a lack of quorum.

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