MCA, MIC 'moving on' from BN, exploring new alliances

PETALING JAYA: MCA and MIC have decided that they are left with no choice but to move on from Barisan Nasional and explore a new alliance to reflect the true intentions of unity in diversity.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and MIC president Tan Sri S. A Vigneswaran said that the MCA, on Dec 2 last year at its annual general assembly, had resolved to moot the dissolution of Barisan and forge a new alliance.

“Hence, we urged the Barisan supreme council to hold a meeting immediately to decide on the fate of the coalition,” said the two leaders in a joint statement on Monday (March 4).

Their statement also described Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s appointment as Barisan’s secretary-general as illegal and not recognised by MCA and MIC.

It said the uncalled for racial remarks by Nazri in Semenyih have further damaged the ties between the three founding parties.

The statement said when there is no mutual respect and there is a breach of unity in diversity within the component parties of Barisan, the very foundation of the coalition has been challenged and threatened.

Nazri’s repeated racial remarks perceived to be from Umno and the party's continued silence has cracked the foundation of mutual respect that Barisan has stood for, the statement said.

During the Semenyih by-election campaign, Nazri said that non-Malays should not question Malay privileges, as the non-Malays also enjoyed special privileges such as vernacular schools.

Nazri also questioned the appointments of non-Malays as Attorney General, Chief Justice and Finance Minister, adding said that Malay rights should be defended at all costs.

After he received backlash for his speech, Nazri held a press conference denying that he wanted vernacular schools to be shut down.

Nazri is currently under probe for sedition over his remarks.