In the second instalment of the escalating feud between Umno supreme council member Puad Zarkashi and MIC deputy president M Saravanan, the political drama of the last general election has come roaring back into focus.
Taking aim in a social media post titled “Saravanan: It’s all about positions”, Puad accused the MIC strongman of political double-dealing.
He highlighted Saravanan’s statutory declaration (SD) backing Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin as the 10th prime minister, despite having earlier pledged allegiance to BN through a separate SD.
Saravanan was quick to fire back, recalling the post-GE15 turmoil, where Umno’s “No Anwar, No DAP” stance left BN leaders in a state of political paralysis.
Puad didn’t mince words, alleging that Saravanan’s support for Muhyiddin was driven by a hunger for positions just as its withdrawal was.
He reminded that ahead of GE15, all BN candidates were required to sign SDs containing a clause that slapped a RM100 million penalty on any MP who defected.
“If there’s a by-election, it’s not certain he could win again,” Puad said, a pointed jab at Saravanan’s hold on the Tapah seat, which is MIC’s sole remaining parliamentary stronghold.
Puad also emphasised that BN candidates had agreed to empower the party leadership to negotiate the formation of a new government.
“So why did Saravanan sign an SD supporting Muhyiddin? Isn’t that blatant deception?” he asked.
While Puad welcomed Saravanan’s recent assertion that MIC backs the unity government for the sake of stability, he questioned the logic behind the MIC leader’s visible frustration over being sidelined from key posts.
He ended the diatribe by urging MIC to stay the course within BN, claiming it was the only realistic path to regaining influence and clout.
‘No Anwar, No DAP’
In response, Saravanan dismissed Puad’s remarks, saying the Umno leader - who is not even part of the BN supreme council - was out of touch with what really happened behind closed doors.
He explained that the SD supporting Muhyiddin had been signed amid deep uncertainty.
“There was no BN meeting at the time (after the elections). We have been with PN since 2020, and Umno had decided at its general assembly - ‘No Anwar, No DAP’.
“Can you imagine the situation at the time? We needed to form a government; no BN meeting was called, and Umno decided not to work with Anwar or DAP. So, what do I do?” he told Malaysiakini.
As for the BN SDs, Saravanan advised Puad to revisit the document, pointing out that it lacked endorsement from the BN council.
“When we signed, we were told that it would be taken to the BN council for endorsement but that was not done,” he said.
He also clarified that MIC president SA Vigneswaran had already made it clear the party was not seeking any ministerial posts.
According to Saravanan, his controversial comments in Utusan Malaysia were simply a recounting of events, not a fresh demand.
“I did not hide anything, I admitted signing the SD for Muhyiddin. Why did we withdraw the SD? Because at the BN meeting, we decided that Anwar has given us a better offer,” he said.
‘Uninvited guest’
Noting that Umno president and BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had responded to his interview in a “polite manner”, Saravanan advised Puad “not to jump for the sake of publicity”.
Just a day earlier, the two BN allies had locked horns when Puad ridiculed Saravanan over his Utusan Malaysia remarks, in which the latter said MIC was being treated like an “uninvited guest” in the government.
The fallout from Saravanan’s comments also sparked a separate verbal skirmish. DAP assemblyperson M Thulsi suggested that MIC should exit the Madani government altogether, prompting a sharp response from MIC Youth.
The wing has also challenged DAP to a debate, questioning what the party has delivered to the Indian community since coming into power. - Mkini
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