BN top brass set to meet, MIC yet to confirm attendance

 

BN's top brass are scheduled to meet tonight over the uncertainties on the coalition's position in the next general election.

Umno's national delegates assembly has decided that it would not cooperate with Bersatu in the forthcoming general election, while MIC has decided otherwise.

The positions of the two other BN parties - MCA and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) - are not clear.

Sources from MCA have confirmed that party leaders would attend the meeting to be chaired by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at Umno's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

However, MIC president SA Vigneswaran appeared unaware of the meeting when contacted by Malaysiakini to ask if MIC would be participating.

"I don't know. I am feeling unwell. Let me talk to them first," he said when informed that MCA had indicated their attendance.

"Let me talk to MCA because there are some amendments (to the agenda). I want to talk to the (BN) chairperson first."

MIC president SA Vigneswaran

BN, which Umno had led since 1974, had joined Bersatu, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak to form the federal government on March 1, 2020.

However, tensions have been brewing between Umno and Bersatu.

One faction led by Zahid wants to break ties with Bersatu, but the other, mostly led by those holding executive positions in Muhyiddin Yassin's cabinet, wants otherwise.

Eventually, the delegates assembly granted Zahid powers to decide when the party would pull out from Muhyiddin's government. Zahid, in turn, said he would do so if Muhyiddin did not give a clear indication of an election date.

MIC had made its agenda clear during its national delegates meeting on April 3, when it pledged support for Muhyiddin and the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

However, the party remains loyal to BN and the coalition would have the final say on whether it would follow Umno's decision to not cooperate with Bersatu in the next general election.

Conversely, there was no clear indication from the March 7 MCA national delegates meeting on whether the party was keen on keeping ties with PN or not.

However, there was a resolution passed by the assembly, which stated that the party must be part of BN during the next general election.

Attempts to reach PBRS leaders for comment have been unsuccessful. - Mkini