Big test for MIC without Cameron Highlands seat, says analyst

 

MIC will need to prove that it can still command strong support from the Indian community.

PETALING JAYA: MIC’s decision not to contest the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat at the 15th general election (GE15) will be a tough test for the party, says an analyst.

Speaking to FMT, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid said MIC would now have to prove that the party still had the support of the Indian community in the other seats that it would be contesting.

MIC’s candidates had won the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat in the last two general elections.

“In politics, where you survive on bargaining among coalition partners, once you give up a seat like Cameron Highlands … I think it will be very difficult for MIC to get that seat back as Umno thinks it can win with a convincing majority,” he said.

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“Now, MIC has to prove to Umno that it still has strong support among the Indian community – which I think is true, unlike MCA and the Chinese community.

“I think MIC has a very good chance to show it still commands strong support among Indians. (But) it has to convince the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership, led by Umno, to give it a winnable seat in areas which have a sizable percentage of Indians.

“If Umno wants to retain Cameron Highlands, then it cannot take it away from MIC just like that. It will have to give them something back in exchange, which is the fair thing to do.”

Malaysiakini today quoted MIC deputy president M Saravanan as saying that the party had decided to give up its bid to contest in Cameron Highlands. Instead, it is hoping to field a candidate in Teluk Intan, Perak.

The report said that according to BN insiders, MIC had earlier sought to reclaim the Cameron Highlands seat, which is considered as one of BN’s safe seats.

A by-election was called in Cameron Highlands in 2019 after the Election Commission annulled the victory of BN’s candidate, MIC’s C Sivarraajh, in GE14 for alleged vote buying.

Umno’s Ramli Md Noor claimed victory, going on to become the country’s first Orang Asli MP.

While Sivarraajh won the seat with a majority of 597 votes, Ramli claimed the seat with a majority of 3,238 votes in the by-election.

FMT has reached out to Ramli, Saravanan and MIC president SA Vigneswaran for comment. - FMT