Anwar denies MIC won't campaign for Harapan in KKB

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has refuted reports that MIC will not be campaigning in the looming Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election if the chosen candidate is not from BN.

Speaking to reporters today, Anwar said the announcement that MIC will not partake in campaigning contradicts his phone conversation with MIC president SA Vigneswaran.

“That is not true… MIC president (Vigneswaran) called me, he told me that he will go (and help with the campaigning in Kuala Kubu Baharu) tomorrow, Monday.

“Reports that said MIC does not want to campaign are not true,” he said briefly, after the conclusion of PKR’s 25th anniversary special convention held at the Ideal Convention Centre, Shah Alam today.

This comes after MIC reportedly said it would not join the by-election campaign if the candidate was not from its coalition.

Anwar was responding to questions from the media that BN component parties - MCA and MIC - would not participate in campaigning if the candidate was not from BN.

However, he fell short of commenting about MCA’s non-involvement in campaigning efforts.

This comes after MCA’s statement that the party would not be campaigning in the by-election if the chosen candidate was not from BN.

MCA decided on this at the party’s political development committee at the party's headquarters on Friday (April 19).

The Kuala Kubu Baharu seat fell vacant following the demise of its incumbent, Lee Kee Hiong, from DAP, on March 21.

The Election Commission has set May 11 for polling, while nomination and early voting will be on April 27 and May 7 respectively.

‘Unity govt strong, stable’

Earlier in his speech, Anwar said that the relationship among the parties in the coalition government is now very strong and stable, with each component contributing to the strengthening of the relationship. 

Anwar, the PKR president, said that in the face of several issues arising, all cabinet members had no problem in understanding and discussing them but he admitted that there were issues that had to be negotiated outside the cabinet. 

“The voices outside (the cabinet) do not necessarily represent the voice of the leadership, I have to admit that there are a few things that are unravelling outside the cabinet, but so far there is no sign of even a small rift, between Pakatan Harapan, Umno-BN, Sabah and Sarawak. 

“There are only hordes of ‘desperados’ trying to fight each other and I tell them ‘good luck and goodbye, it will not work’. 

“For me, the current government is still stable and strong,” he said. - Mkini