Kimma will not submit any more applications to join BN

 

Kimma president Syed Ibrahim Kader says the party’s supreme council had decided to only join BN if the coalition invites it officially.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) will no longer submit applications to join Barisan Nasional (BN).

Its president, Syed Ibrahim Kader, said this was after BN rejected its applications.

“Our applications have not been accepted after trying for so long. We were told that BN had failed to reach a consensus (on allowing Kimma to join),” said Syed Ibrahim during Kimma’s congress at the World Trade Centre here.

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“There’s a party that keeps blocking our application. Until today, we are still waiting for an answer (from BN). But how long can we wait? As president, I am not sure how long we can keep doing this.

“From now on, we will not submit any applications to join BN. But if BN invites us, we will accept it.

“This is a decision that was made by all our members and finalised by the party’s supreme council.”

At a press conference later, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi admitted that the coalition was unable to accept Kimma’s application as there had to be a consensus among its component parties — Umno, MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah.

“We have to respect BN’s constitution that says a consensus (among component parties) is needed to accept any new party into the coalition,” he said.

Kimma is among the parties allied with BN in a group known as Friends of BN. Among its other members are Makkal Sakti, Indian Progressive Front (IPF) and Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM).

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BN gave the presidents of all four parties seats to contest in GE15, the first time the parties were allowed to represent BN.

Syed Ibrahim contested the Puchong seat while Makkal Sakti president T Thanendran was given the Nibong Tebal seat. These were seats Gerakan used to get when it was in BN.

IPF president T Loganathan stood in Jelutong while PCM’s Razalif Zain contested in Bukit Bendera. - FMT