BN may field Makkal Sakti candidates in GE15, says Zahid

 

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the request by RS Thanenthiran is justified as Makkal Sakti has been supportive of Barisan Nasional for a long time.

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional may field candidates from Parti Makkal Sakti Malaysia in the next general election (GE15), says the coalition’s chairman, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Makkal Sakti, the Indian-based party founded by former Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders is not part of BN though it has been supportive of the coalition for years.

As such, Zahid, who was speaking at Makkal Sakti’s annual general meeting today, said the party should be given the chance to contest under the BN flag.

“Makkal Sakti must be treated as an asset.”

Zahid said the party’s president RS Thanenthiran has asked for the party’s candidates to be fielded in GE15 and that this would be discussed by BN.

“(I believe) we will give their candidates a place in parliamentary or state assembly seats.”

Zahid also said BN intended to lead the government again after GE15 and wrest back seats it had lost.

“The people of different races and religions want BN to form the government once more,” he said, adding this was why the coalition needed to be strengthened.

Meanwhile, at a press conference, Thanenthiran welcomed Zahid’s remarks on wanting to give Makkal Sakti candidates a chance.

He said this motivated Makkal Sakti members who had been waiting for 13 years to be given a chance to contest under the BN flag.

“Even though we have not been given a chance to contest, our support for BN has not waned.”

Thanenthiran said he would leave it to the BN leadership to decide how many seats they should contest and where they should contest.

However, he has asked that they be allowed to contest four parliamentary and seven state seats in Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Kedah.

“I believe BN components, namely Umno, MCA, MIC and PBRS, will support us.

“We have also asked for Makkal Sakti to be accepted as a BN component.” - FMT