IPOH: There are no grudges held against Perikatan for closing the door on MIC, says Tan Sri S. Vigneswaran.
The MIC president said he understood why Perikatan has decided to void the party's entry into the coalition and does not blame them.
"MIC was already geared up to join, which is true, but the decision was not made," he said.
"We have made it clear to them that when the offer to join Perikatan was given, it was to be led by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the helm," he stated.
He was speaking during a press conference at the D.R. Seenivasagam Recreational Park here on Sunday (May 31).
"So when there was a leadership change, it's not that we are against PAS, no, but the mandate given to the party leadership by the grassroots is that Perikatan must be led by Bersatu, so we have to go back," he added.
"That's what we told them," he said.
He had said this after opening a Family Day programme organised by the Ipoh Barat, Ipoh Timur, Parit, Tambun and Batu Gajah divisions in conjunction with the party's 80th anniversary.
Perikatan secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan had on May 18 announced that MIC's entry into the coalition had become void.
This was due to MIC's failure to confirm their acceptance into Perikatan, despite earlier claims that their membership had been approved.
Vigneswaran said that despite being MIC's president, decisions have to be made in line with members' opinions.
"There's no problem because I cannot make a decision," he said.
"I'm not like other party presidents, who can make a decision and go," he added.
"I got to go back to the grassroots. I got to go back to the party central working committee," he explained.
When asked whether there could be opportunities to join Perikatan in the future, Vigneswaran said the question needed to be addressed to Takiyuddin.
For now, he added that MIC would remain with Barisan.
