New ties in the works
Both parties blame Nazri over racial comments during Semenyih polls
Citing loss of mutual respect after the Barisan Nasional secretary-general lashed out with racist remarks, MCA and MIC presidents Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran decided that enough is enough. Preparations are being made to explore a new alliance – just as ties between Umno and PAS hit a new high with a possibility of them going into GE15 under a common logo.
PETALING JAYA: MCA and MIC have declared their intention to forge a new alliance, with both parties blaming racial remarks by Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz (pic) at the recent Semenyih by-election for further straining ties in the troubled Barisan Nasional.
The two parties, in a joint statement signed by their respective presidents Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran, also described Nazri’s appointment as Barisan secretary-general as illegal.
The joint statement cast a dark cloud over the former ruling coalition and comes as the warm relations between Umno and PAS look set to strengthen further.
Today, leaders of both Malay-Muslim parties will meet to discuss ways to work more closely, paving the way for them to use a common logo at the next general election.
“When there is no mutual respect and there is a breach of unity in diversity within the component parties of Barisan, the very foundations of Barisan have been challenged and threatened,” read the joint MCA-MIC statement.
“Datuk Seri Nazri’s repeated racial remarks perceived to be from Umno and its continued silence had cracked the foundation of mutual respect that Barisan stood for all this while.
“MCA and MIC are therefore left with no choice but to move on to explore a new alliance to reflect the true intentions of unity in diversity of its original intent,” the statement continued.
The two parties urged the Barisan supreme council to hold an immediate meeting to decide the coalition’s fate.
Last Dec 2, MCA had at its annual general assembly passed a resolution to empower its central committee to begin the process of the dissolution of Barisan.
During the Semenyih by-election campaign, Nazri said that non-Malays should not question Malay privileges, as the non-Malays also enjoyed special privileges such as vernacular schools.
He also questioned the appointment of non-Malays as Attorney General, Chief Justice and Finance Minister, adding that Malay rights should be defended at all costs.
Barisan deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, when contacted, said the coalition’s supreme council would hold a meeting “as soon as possible” to discuss recent political developments.
Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa said he was not worried about the future of Barisan, as all the opposition parties had their own internal problems.
“We want to sit down to discuss with MCA and MIC,” he said.
Responding to the MCA-MIC joint statement, Nazri fired back by saying that the two parties were free to leave the coalition.
“I do not think it is a loss,” he said. Nazri also defended his appointment as secretary-general which he said was made by the coalition chairman, and denied issuing any racial statements when campaigning in Semenyih.
Meanwhile, political analyst Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian from Universiti Sains Malaysia said that any decision to end the coalition must be done collectively by the Barisan coalition.
“The best thing for the coalition to do is to sit down together to sort matters out rather than allow outsiders to speculate Barisan’s future direction,” he said.
Leaders from Umno and PAS will meet at 2.30pm today at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, with Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan and PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man leading their respective sides.
Sinar Harian reported yesterday that PAS secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan had confirmed when asked whether the two parties would use a common logo at the next general election.
However, Takiyuddin as well as other PAS and Umno leaders when contacted yesterday denied that a common logo was on the agenda for today’s meeting.
“Still too early for a common logo and I think is not a priority at the moment,” Takiyuddin said, without elaborating.
Tuan Ibrahim said the meeting today would discuss how both parties could work together for the upcoming Rantau state seat by-election in Negri Sembilan, as well as “discussing what form our cooperation should take after that”.
Asked on a common logo with Umno, Tuan Ibrahim said: “We have not yet reached a stage where we want to use a common logo. What is important is that we want to work together among political parties representing Muslims and Malays.”
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said his party had yet to discuss the possibility of a common logo with PAS.
“We will discuss within the party and consider the suggestion. But as of now, we have not thought about it,” he said.
On today’s meeting with PAS,
Ismail Sabri said the meeting would pave the way for a negotiating committee to be set up for both parties in order to collaborate beyond by-elections.
“We have yet to work together outside by-elections. With the committee we hope to further strengthen our cooperation in other areas for the benefit of the ummah,” he said.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, meanwhile, said he was not too concerned about Umno and PAS coming together as one force.
“They seem to be encouraged by the results of recent by-elections, but they forget that they lost many seats in the last general election, including in Port Dickson,” he said.