200 PKR members quit party, join MIC

JOHOR BAHRU - A total of 200 PKR members, including former Johor PKR State Leadership Council vice-chairman M. Murugan, have announced their resignation from the party and joined the Iskandar Puteri MIC division. 

Murugan said his supporters and him made the decision out of disappointment with the current PKR leadership at both the state and national levels. 

He claimed the party leadership had been indifferent to complaints raised by his group over the years. 

"I joined PKR 19 years ago and have been the longest-serving member in the Iskandar Puteri PKR branch. Among the positions I have held were branch chief, and I contested as PKR's candidate for the Tenggaroh state seat in 2013 and the Layang-Layang state seat in 2018. 

"Today, I have decided to leave PKR and return to MIC after nearly 20 years away from the party. 

“It is like returning to the roots of my political struggle for the benefit of the Indian community," he said at a press conference after leading 200 PKR members in submitting their MIC membership applications at Dewan Taman Nesa in Skudai on Sunday.

Also present were Camp Village MIC branch chairman Datuk T. Mohan and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Skudai state seat Nicole Tan Hiang Kee. 

Murugan also revealed that a total of 350 members from the Kota Iskandar PKR branch had left the party, comprising Indians, Malays and Chinese. 

"Some have joined Umno, MCA and Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), while others have quit active politics altogether. 

"However, the majority are from the Indian community, with 200 joining MIC. I will encourage more PKR members across Johor to join MIC because it is the only party that fights for our rights and welfare," he said. 

Meanwhile, Mohan welcomed the decision by the former PKR members to join MIC, a component party of Barisan Nasional. 

"Since the beginning of this year, MIC has received an estimated 30,000 new members, bringing its nationwide membership to more than 350,000," he said.