Muhyiddin says PN ready to accept MIC as component party

Former Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin has confirmed that the coalition agreed to accept MIC as one of its component parties at a meeting held last year.

However, Muhyiddin said PN is still awaiting a positive response to the invitation to strengthen the opposition coalition.

“MIC’s entry into the PN camp is not a secret, as the party representing the Indian community had indeed expressed its intention previously.

“The decision to accept MIC into the coalition was actually finalised by the top leadership of PN as early as last year.

“We considered the matter, and in fact, the decision to accept MIC was made last year,” he told reporters at a dinner with the media in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, last night.

Malaysiakini reported yesterday that PN is said to have approved MIC’s application to join the coalition, marking a major shift in the landscape of the opposition alliance.

At least three internal sources from Bersatu and PN told Malaysiakini that the decision was reached at a PN supreme leadership meeting held on Dec 9 last year.

The main reason for accepting MIC, according to the sources, was to enable PN to attract support from non-Malay voters, with a particular focus on the Indian community, which is a deciding factor in many urban seats.

They added that the meeting agreed to accept MIC as a component party despite opposition from the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP).

Constantly in touch with MIC chief

Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, said the participation status now rests with MIC president SA Vigneswaran and the party’s central working committee.

“I am constantly in touch with the MIC president and the deputy president (M Saravanan) whenever they come for discussions.

“That is all I can share for now,” he said.

He said MIC’s participation would be an interesting strategic move, as it would complete the representation of the Indian community within the PN bloc or parties allied with it.

“We are looking at one arrangement, which is to be part of PN, while another is the possibility of an electoral pact that we will use in any future elections,” he added.

However, according to BN secretary-general Zambry Abd Kadir, MIC remains part of BN for now.

Zambry said the decisions were among matters resolved at the BN supreme council meeting held in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.

“I would like to inform that the meeting today has also accepted the re-entry of PPP (People’s Progressive Party) into BN,” he said after the meeting concluded.

When asked about MIC’s position amid reports that the party may leave BN, Zambry said no official notification had been received.

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