PM Najib confident IPF will continue to support BN

The Prime Minister said IPF members must also have confidence and trust or 'nambikei' in the BN as the coalition had a record of continuing to support all the races in the country.

"The opposition parties can promise to do this and that, but the BN has already given substantial contribution to the Indian community. I am confident and I believe this (contribution) will boost the confidence of the Indian community to increase their support for the BN.

"This is very clear from the 13th general election (GE13) which showed that the support of the Indian community for the BN had increased compared with the GE12 in 2008," he said in his speech at the launching of the 25th Silver Jubilee celebration of the party at the Malaysian Agricultural Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS), here Friday.

Commenting further, Najib, who is also the BN chairman, said the task of developing any community took time and it could not be completed within one or two generations.

"It goes across and extends far beyond the time required to develop any ethnic group or community in a comprehensive manner," he pointed out.

Thus, Najib said the BN was always indebted to the IPF which had been very committed during the 25 years of its existence although all the requests made by the party had yet to be fulfilled.

"But do believe that we are a partner and comrade that the IPF can depend on to continue to champion the cause of the Indian community in this country," he said.

As for the demands of the IPF president Datuk M. Sambanthan such as accepting the IPF as a component party of the BN or to seek memberships in the district councils, Najib said he was prepared to consider the demands such as positions as district council members and municipal councillors.

On the IPF being made a BN component party, the prime minister said: "I believe the IPF will continue to play a role as 'Friends of BN' in partnership with the BN. But the request by the IPF requires agreement from all the component parties, and I cannot override them and am bound by the provisions of the BN constitution."

"I hear what is in your heart. I am most sympathetic. But we can try to persuade one party in the BN to think of all these and have yet to succeed. We will try again so that the IPF can play a bigger role," he said.

The dinner Friday was attended by 3,000 IPF members from all the 80 divisions nationwide. READ: Indian-based parties under BN should merge - Tengku Adnan