MIC NAMES CANDIDATES FOR 6 PARLIAMENTARY SEATS, REVEALS MANIFESTO
Subramaniam says this is subject to final say by BN chairman
MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam yesterday revealed six out of nine parliamentary seats that the party will contest in the 14th General Election.
The six, he said, were Sungai Siput (Perak), Tapah (Perak), Segamat (Johor), Kapar (Selangor), Kota Raja (Selangor) and Cameron Highlands (Pahang).
Dr Subramaniam, however, said the seats were subject to change as the final say was with Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“We will obey and act in accordance with any decision made by the leadership. This has become our principle now.
“For instance, if Umno decides to contest in any one of the MIC seats, we will make way. In the end, our goal is to win the GE,” he said after the handing over of the SJK(T) Taman Sentosa new building in Kota Raja near here.
He had on April 14 confirmed that the party would contest nine parliamentary and 18 state seats. This was the same number it contested in 2013.
Dr Subramaniam, who is health minister, said MIC was certain that the party would contest in Cameron Highlands.
Present were Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan and MIC Kota Raja head Datuk R.S. Maniam.
In Kuala Lumpur, Dr Subramaniam said the party would not back down from contesting the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat, and he was prepared to face any possibility.
“Cameron Highlands... we have said many times that it should be given to us,” he said after launching the party’s manifesto at the MIC headquarters here yesterday.
He was responding to questions on the possibility of sabotage due to the dispute over the traditional MIC seat.
This followed MyPPP president Tan Sri M. Kayveas’ threat that he might pull the party out of BN if it was not allowed to contest the seat.
BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had said the seat would remain with MIC and offered Segambut to Kayveas, which the latter rejected.
When asked about MyPPP’s position, Dr Subramaniam said he did not wish to interfere in the decision of other parties. But he said: “I hope whatever they do will be in the spirit of BN.”
He said the Indian community’s support for BN was at an average of 65 per cent, based on its Jalinan Rakyat programmes.
He said the support of the community differed from area to area, peaking at more than 80 per cent in some places, while dipping to 50 per cent in others.
“This is a good sign if we look at the support from other communities, especially in Selangor and Federal Territories.
“It appears that the support from Indians is the highest.”