The Indian Progressive Front (IPF) says that it will wait patiently and for as long as possible to be a member of the Barisan Nasional, which currently has 14 component parties.

Party president M G Pandithan told malaysiakini today he was prepared to "wait until 2020 and beyond" and that he will "cross the bridge" only when the time was right.

He added that the present formula used by BN to admit parties into the ruling coalition had to be changed to keep up with the times.

"The system is irrelevant in such modern times. It is a man-made system which can be changed. Today, we must talk about the majority to satisfy everybody," he said.

Pandithan also stressed that he was not seeking any position in the government but merely the admission of IPF into BN. The MIC has been the main stumbling block to IPF's admission.

No interest

He added that IPF will not join Barisan Alternatif as his experience in the opposition proved that BN was the only coalition that could benefit the Indian community.

IPF has been trying to join the 14-member ruling coalition for many years now, but its effort has been consistently blocked by MIC president Samy Vellu.

"The reason for our rejection by MIC can only be learnt later. I still have a lot of chances and the opposition is only from one leader of my own community," Pandithan said, adding that Samy only had 30 percent support of the country's Indian supporters as compared to IPF's 70 percent.

Meanwhile, Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia (Prim) today reiterated that it would not seek to join the ruling coalition despite claiming that BN's dominant component party, Umno, was fairer to the Indian community than the opposition.

Mouths sealed

Prim pro-tem secretary general P Uthayakumar told malaysiakini that it was "completely out of the question for us to join BN".

"Like I said before, if we join BN our hands will be tied, our mouths will be sealed. We will not be able to voice the people's grievances and raise issues such as abuses of the police, government atrocities, corruption and mismanagement," he said.

Uthayakumar added that Prim was still waiting for BA's reply to its application to join the opposition coalition, which consists of PAS, PRM, DAP and Keadilan.

"BA is treating us worse than Umno is treating MIC. It is being very arrogant. BA has acknowledged receipt of our application but has yet to reply to it.

"Until then, we will continue to be a pressure group and continue our struggle," he said.

In a press statement released yesterday, Uthayakumar said that the new appointments to the Cabinet announced on Wednesday proved that Umno was fairer to the Indian community than Keadilan or BA.

He said that Umno showed its magnanimity with the appointment of People's Progressive Party president M Kayveas as deputy housing and local government minister.

He added that the appointment of Bukit Asahan state assemblyman K Raghavan as an exco member in the Malacca state legislative committee after the Lunas by-election recently also proved Umno did not sideline the Indians.