KUALA LUMPUR: MIC will assess the sentiment of the Indian community before making any decision on joining Perikatan Nasional, says its deputy president Datuk Seri M Saravanan.
Stressing that as an Indian-based party, MIC will not rush into any political realignment before the views of the Indian community are taken into account, particularly in light of the current leadership of the coalition.
Saravanan said MIC has no issues with PAS’s leadership but acknowledged that acceptance among the Indian community remains a key concern.
He said that, for now, MIC remains with Barisan Nasional and that no final decision has been made.
“In the past, the proposal to join PN was raised during the leadership of Muhyiddin Yassin, as MIC has had a long working relationship with him.
“However, now that PAS has taken over the leadership, we need to check the pulse of the Indian community. We cannot immediately move anywhere.
“Being an Indian party, we do not know if the community can accept PAS. We have no complaints about PAS’s leadership; we are okay with it, but we need to find out if the community feels the same.
“Moreover, there are ongoing issues related to temple matters. So it is status quo for now, and we remain with BN,” the Tapah Member of Parliament told reporters here yesterday.
He also revealed that there had been an offer for MIC to join PN in the past, extended by PN deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, and that the party is still studying the proposal.
When asked about claims by PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan that MIC had already joined the coalition, Saravanan dismissed it as a miscommunication.
“We were merely making an enquiry and not an application.”
