Okay for 'Friends of BN' to be given seats, just don't take ours - MIC

ISKANDAR PUTERI: MIC has no issues with seats being allocated to 'Friends of BN' parties as long as they do not involve the party's (MIC) traditional seats.

Its president Tan Sri S A Vigneswaran said seats allocated to 'Friends of BN' for the Johor state election, instead, should be through UMNO or MCA's quota.

"(BN can) consider UMNO seats and so on, no problem, as long as it is not our (MIC) seats," he told reporters after the Johor MIC Brigade launching ceremony at the EduCity Sports Complex Indoor Stadium, here today.

He said this to reporters when asked about the seat distribution between BN component parties for the state election, which also involved 'Friends of BN' parties.

Previously, the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (KIMMA) and the Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party (Makkal Sakti) were reported to have submitted a request to the BN top leadership to contest in the state polls, based on their loyalty to the coalition all this while.

When asked about UMNO's request to switch with MIC's two traditional seats - Gambir and Kahang - Vigneswaran said in BN there is a spirit of 'give and take'.

He said currently, the party is discussing this matter with the BN chairman (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi).

"We expect good news," he added.

During the 14th General Election, MIC contested four seats but won two seats, namely Kahang and Tenggaroh, but lost Gambir and Skudai.

Meanwhile, Johor BN chairman, Datuk Hasni Mohammad, said he was ready to bring Johor to a new era of development if given the mandate as a 'poster boy' in the state election.

At the same time, he also said that if BN wins the Johor election, the government vertical quota (KMK) would also need to be restored, to provide housing opportunities to all communities.

"If in the past, 10 per cent of the quota was for Indians, but Pakatan Harapan (PH) felt that we were misusing the quota.

"But if we win (the Johor state election), we need to restore the quota because it is important to provide housing opportunities to everyone," he said during his speech.

MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M Saravanan, BN treasurer-general Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, MIC Johor chairman R. Vidyananthan, MIC Women's chief Datuk Mohana Muniandy and MIC Youth chief K Raven Kumar were also present at the event.

Meanwhile, Hasni said the term 'pengundi muda' should be changed to 'pengundi baharu' to differentiate them from the MUDA party.

"If we meet these automatic voters, I hope we don't call them 'pengundi muda' from today.

"No, don't mention muda, mention pengundi baharu. I don't want MUDA party to represent the youth," he said.

-- BERNAMA