Umno Youth leader Mukhriz Mahathir should leave it to the Barisan Nasional top leadership to decide on the candidate contesting the Bukit Selambau state constituency by-election in April.

S Veerasingam In making the call, MIC vice-president S Veerasingam said Mukhriz should cease making statements (on which BN component party should be represented in the by-election) and instead, adhere to the power-sharing concept practised by the coalition.

This, he said, was to ensure a balanced racial composition at state and parliamentary level.

"I am sure Mukhriz, and Umno Youth itself, would not want to see MIC candidates devoid of seats at the state assembly and parliamentary levels.

"I appeal to all Umno Youth exco members to refrain from speculating which party could be represented in the Bukit Selambau by-election," Veerasingam told Bernama when contacted today.

Umno reps must be given a chance

He said this in response to a statement by Mukhriz in a Malay daily today, which quoted him as saying the time was ripe for Umno representatives to be given a chance to contest in the Bukit Selambau by-election by looking into the current situation, including the needs of voters in the constituency.

kubang pasu division meet 090906 mukhriz The Jerlun MP had also said the BN candidate be fielded in the by-election should be well received by voters, taking into account on what happened during the Kuala Terengganu by-election recently.

Veerasingam said Mukhriz's statement reflected "as though Indians will not have seats from BN" to contest in the Bukit Selambau by-election.

Meanwhile, Veerasingam said MIC president S Samy Vellu had visited Bukit Selambau recently, to ensure victory for BN in the by-election.

The Bukit Selambau seat fell vacant, following the resignation of PKR's V. Arumugam, which was announced by Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak on Feb 8.

In the general election last year, Arumugam, 54, who contested as an independent, defeated BN's S Krishnan.