MIC promises to back Anwar until GE16

MIC has reiterated its promise to provide full support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration until the next general election.

Party president SA Vigneswaran said regardless of whether it’s in the government or not, Anwar has MIC’s word that it will back his leadership for five years.

“But after that (in GE16), the party will decide (on where its support will lie) based on seats offered and what is best for the party,” he said at the Selangor MIC Annual General Meeting in Padang Jawa today.

Vigneswaran (above) pointed out that it was important to decide which future direction would make the party politically stronger.

He said this amid rumours that Perikatan Nasional was planning to take over the federal government and that some MPs supporting Anwar’s administration may defect.

However until today, none of the component parties in the coalition government have indicated that it would withdraw its support.

MIC president SA Vigneswaran and PM Anwar Ibrahim

BN had backed Anwar as prime minister after last year’s 15th general election which saw a hung Parliament for the first time in history.

At the time, MIC was one of BN’s component parties that reportedly opposed its chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s decision to cooperate with Pakatan Harapan.

MIC along with MCA also decided to not contest in this year’s six state elections after claiming to have been sidelined in seat negotiations.

Vigneswaran had said then that the formula used, in which incumbent parties got to keep their seats, left few constituencies available for BN to contest.

He claimed, however, that giving those seats to MCA and MIC was never discussed, especially in Kedah, Penang, and Selangor.

Umno was also not very spirited in holding talks with MCA and MIC, he added. - Mkini