KUALA LUMPUR: The People's Progressive Party will be given seats in the next general election if MIC gives the green light for Barisan Nasional to do so, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Barisan chairman and Umno president said this in his speech while attending the Deepavali open house held by BN component PPP in Brickfields on Sunday (Nov 15).
Also in attendance were PPP president Datuk Dr J. Loga Bala Mohan and MIC secretary-general Datuk Seri M Saravanan.
"I am determined, with the agreement of MIC president Tan Sri S A Vigneswaran and secretary-general Datuk Seri M Saravanan, that we will field PPP candidates in the next general election.
"I am proud of MIC’s success. They achieved a 100% victory rate. They contested one seat and won it, achieving a 100% success rate.
"And if Tapah is returned to Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, I am confident that Tapah will also be won back," said Ahmad Zahid.
Saravanan is the sole MIC MP in Tapah.
Both parties have historically sought to represent the interests of the Malaysian Indian community and have sometimes publicly clashed in the past.
“Our unity is reflected in gatherings such as this. As Malaysians, we set aside our differences. In fact, we are a nation that looks beyond racial and cultural differences.
"That is why Barisan has won three consecutive times. In football, winning a tournament three times in a row is known as a hat-trick. This is indeed a remarkable and convincing victory for Barisan.
"In my heart, alongside our friends from Umno, MCA and MIC, PPP is also our partner. Although the party has gone through various leadership changes over the years, I respect my friend Loga, who has remained steadfast, working together with his fellow colleagues to ensure that PPP continues to exist within Barisan," said Ahmad Zahid.
On Jan 18, Ahmad Zahid then announced PPP's formal readmission confirming that its status had been recognised by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) in a letter dated Nov 25 last year.
Ahmad Zahid's commitment to field PPP candidates in the next general election is seen as an anointment of PPP as a component party of Barisan.
