Johor polls an acid test for MIC, says analyst

 USM’s Sivamurugan Pandian says the state election will determine if the party still commands Indian support or will it continue to identify with PKR.

The Johor election will be a clear indication of whether or not the MIC continues to be relevant for the Indian community, political analyst Sivamurugan Pandian said.

PETALING JAYA:

The upcoming Johor state election will serve as a litmus test of MIC’s relevance for a community it has continuously claimed to represent for almost eight decades, a political analyst said.

Sivamurugan Pandian, professor of political sociology at Universiti Sains Malaysia, said the polls could shed light on the direction Indian voters will take going forward.

They can continue to identify with PKR and its Reformasi-era politics or return to the party that once served as their voice in government, he pointed out.

Sivamurugan said that rather than the monolithic bloc they once were, Indian voters are now divided along a variety of political ideals expounded by different parties and movements.

“For MIC, the state polls are about whether it can still claim political relevance,” he told FMT.

Johor MIC chairman K Raven Kumar said earlier this week that the party is looking to contest four seats in the coming election.

K Raven Kumar.

It won three of those seats — Kahang, Kemelah and Tenggaroh — in the previous election in 2022, but lost Bukit Baru by just 137 votes to PKR.

Sivamurugan said that for MIC the Johor election will serve as the platform for it to prove its value proposition on the ground.

He said that while the Indian-based party may be buoyed by Umno’s current political momentum in Johor, voters may ultimately choose candidates based solely on the party’s capabilities rather than who its coalition partners are.

MIC is a component of Barisan Nasional (BN), of which Umno is the lynchpin.

Umno’s role in MIC’s electoral fortunes is undeniable. Tenggaroh and Kahang have been held by MIC since their inception in 1986 and 2004 respectively although both are Malay-majority seats.

Kemelah was an Umno stronghold until 2018 when a political tsunami swept Umno and BN off the pedestal. BN reclaimed it through MIC in 2022.

Sivamurugan said that older Indian voters who have traditionally given their support to BN, as well as those who prioritise stability and continuity and others disappointed with Pakatan Harapan (PH) are more likely to back MIC.

Sivamurugan Pandian.

On the other hand, he added, young and more urban Indians are increasingly making their political choices based on issues and candidates rather than party loyalty.

For PKR, this is a factor to contend with. While it has managed to wrest Indian support from MIC along the way to its eventual ascent to power, it cannot rule out the possibility of the tide turning.

Help for MIC may even come from an unlikely quarter. Sivamurugan said the emergence of Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad’s Parti Bersama Malaysia could chip away at Indian support for PKR. Otherwise, these voters may drift back to traditional voting patterns and back BN.

Syaza Shukri.

Syaza Shukri, an assistant professor who has done research on issues such as comparative politics at International Islamic University Malaysia, said the MIC’s plan to vie for four seats in Johor is to shore up its political strength.

“It appears to be banking on BN’s growing popularity in Johor, and dissatisfaction with PH, particularly PKR, in some constituencies,” she told FMT.

Long-standing engagement 

MIC strategy director C Sivaraj said the party’s support in Johor was built on years of engagement with the Indian community and the performance of the BN-led state government.

C Sivaraj.

He said that under the leadership of Raven Kumar, Johor MIC has introduced various initiatives on education, welfare and religious affairs for the benefit of the Indian community at a cost of RM28 million.

He said menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s administration also resonated with voters as it focused on issues that affect them, such as cost of living, employment, infrastructure and schools.

Sivaraj said this is why many Indian voters continue to view BN and MIC favourably.

“The general sentiment among Indians in Johor is that BN is performance-oriented and is a stable government,” he said, adding that MIC served as the “eyes and ears” for the government by raising grassroots concerns. - FMT