Pahang MIC banking on sympathy votes

KUANTAN: Pahang MIC is banking on sympathy votes should there be a by-election for the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat.

Its chairman V. Arumugam said its incumbent MP Datuk C. Sivarraajh was still the most suitable candidate.

“We can hope for sympathy support from the voters as the present number of seats belonging to the opposition should not be reduced further.

“The number of opposition seats (in Parliament) is considered strong now and if we lose in the by-election, it will weaken the bloc and that will affect the people too,” he said in an interview.

Arumugam said PAS could also have a bearing as previously neither MIC nor Barisan Nasional received support from the Islamist party followers.

The Election Court had on Friday nullified Barisan’s victory in the 14th general election after finding that corrupt practices were committed.

Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has since confirmed via Twitter that the coalition will appeal the decision.

This is the second time in recent weeks that a seat won by Barisan was nullified after the Rantau state seat in Negri Sembilan.

The Election Commission is appealing the decision on the Rantau state seat.

Arumugam said Sivarraajh, who is also MIC vice-president, had performed well and was proven acceptable to the people in the constituency ever since he was elected as MP.

Despite being an MP since May, he said Sivarraajh had been in close contact with the grassroots, doing his job and being a good leader.

“There is no reason to reject him as an MP but we have to abide by the court decision and will field him again in case of a by-election,” he said.

However, he said the final decision would be made by the top Barisan leadership.