Johor polls: No issue if 'Friends of BN' get seats, just not MIC's, says Vigneswaran

ISKANDAR PUTERI: MIC has no problems if Barisan Nasional allocates seats to parties who are friendly to the coalition in the upcoming Johor election.

However, MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran said this was as long as the seats were not those contested by the party in GE14.

MIC contested four seats in GE14, namely Gambir, Kahang, Tenggaroh and Skudai.

MIC won two seats.

On seat negotiations, Vigneswaran said that it was still ongoing.

He was asked to comment about other parties including the Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party or the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) asking for seats in the upcoming Johor polls.

There has also been talk that Umno wants to contest the Kahang or Gambir state seats.

In his speech, Vigneswaran said MIC had been serving the Indian community for a long time.

"MIC has accumulated educational assets totalling RM1bil for Indian education, given out loans totalling RM200mil and has fixed deposits totalling RM100mil.

"All this for us to continue to help and serve the Indian community," he said, adding that so far, 40,000 students have completed their education and another 6,000 in medical courses at its colleges.

He added that MIC would continue to champion issues affecting the community including gangsterism, crime among Indian youths and lock-up deaths.