KLANG: Selangor MCA says it is not an issue for Umno to not use the Barisan Nasional logo in the Sungai Kandis by-election.
Its secretary Datuk Ng Chok Sin (pic) said MCA will understand if Umno chooses to use its own party logo instead.
“Barisan is in a very precarious state now and perhaps using the Umno logo is the right way forward at the moment," said Ng.
He was commenting on Selangor Umno’s plan of using its party logo instead of Barisan's in the Aug 4 Sungai Kandis by-election.
He also said Barisan has five years to heal and return to its past glory before the next general election.
“But this does not mean that MCA is giving up on Barisan. We are one of the coalition’s founders and we will stand by Barisan, which needs rebranding that can be carried out within the next five years," he added.
However, MIC Wanita chief Mohana Muniandy questioned if Umno made the decision unanimously without consulting the other component parties.
She said MCA, MIC and Umno belonged collectively to the Barisan family.
“If Umno wants to contest on its own, how was the decision made?
“Was it a unanimous decision made by the party without the quorum of other Barisan parties?” asked Mohana.
She said Umno should not give up on Barisan so soon and reminded that there are Indian and Chinese voters in Sungai Kandis.
When contacted, Selangor Umno deputy chief Datuk Mat Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan said the party’s state leaders had a unanimous wish to use its party logo and not Barisan's in the by-election.
“We have forwarded our intention to the party’s national leadership and they will be the ones deciding,’’ said Mat Nadzari.
He said the party’s top leadership will also decide on the candidate who will be contesting for the seat.
Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said it was no big deal for Umno to use its party logo.
“That was also what Pakatan Harapan did in the general election. They used the PKR logo instead of the Pakatan logo," he added.
The Sungai Kandis seat fell vacant after PKR incumbent assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei died of cancer on July 2.
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