SEBERANG JAYA – With MIC’s leadership still indecisive on the party’s role in Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has signalled it may take matters into its own hands, raising questions about loyalty and the party’s place in the coalition.
As BN chairman, Zahid said MIC delegates had previously given full authority to the party’s leadership to decide its direction but a final position has yet to be determined.
“If the current leadership is unable to make a decision, then I want to stress this clearly - if they do not decide, we will decide.
“We do not want a situation where one thing is said in the morning, another in the afternoon, and something else the next day,” he told a press conference after officiating the 17th Annual General Assembly of Makkal Sakti here yesterday.
He said BN had taken note of a circulating copy of a letter allegedly signed by MIC leaders, purportedly seeking to rejoin Perikatan Nasional (PN), which has raised questions about the party’s loyalty.
Zahid said both MCA and MIC are among the parties that formed political alliances even before independence and that historical legacy should be respected.
“If the current leadership decides otherwise, that is their choice. However, BN cannot remain in a state of uncertainty,” he said.
On a related development, Zahid explained the position of parties under the Friends of BN grouping, including Makkal Sakti, saying they can only be accepted as associate members and not as core BN component parties.
He said the BN Constitution, drafted since its establishment in 1974, stipulates that only four parties are recognised as core components - Umno, MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), and that any amendments require unanimous approval.
“As long as the BN Constitution is not amended, the admission of new parties as core components cannot be approved,” he said.
However, Zahid did not rule out the possibility of BN undergoing rebranding or forming a new political entity in the future, subject to a decision by the BN Supreme Council.
“I deeply appreciate the loyalty and patience shown by our friends in Friends of BN for continuing to stand with us. When the time comes, this matter will be communicated to the presidents of the parties involved,” he said.
Responding to concerns raised by MCA regarding political cooperation with DAP, Zahid stressed that BN has never cooperated directly with the party.
“DAP is a component of Pakatan Harapan (PH), while MCA, MIC and PBRS are components of BN. The cooperation is between BN and PH as coalitions within the Unity Government, not between individual parties,” he said.