Malaysian Indian Congress weighs exit from Barisan Nasional alliance, vows continued support for PM Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a long-standing component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, is considering leaving the alliance, saying the partnership no longer provides space for the party to contribute meaningfully to national development. 

BN, which is led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and also includes the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), is part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government, together with Pakatan Harapan. 

At MIC’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Sunday (Nov 16), delegates unanimously passed a resolution to withdraw from BN to join opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN), media outlet Astro Awani reported. 

However, the party emphasised it remains fully committed to supporting Anwar’s leadership until the end of his current mandate, regardless of any future political decisions, according to Malay Mail. 

The party must confront the reality that it is no longer respected within the BN alliance, whether as a “sibling” party or a genuine party, said MIC president SA Vigneswaran at the party’s meeting in Shah Alam. 

“Can MIC truly bring BN forward when the coalition today no longer reflects what it originally was?” Vigneswaran was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian. 

His remarks came as frustration has reportedly grown among MIC grassroots members, some of whom told The Star they feel the party has been “ignored and sidelined” since the formation of the unity government in 2022. 

“UMNO has forgotten how we worked very hard for Barisan for decades. We are supposed to be one big family, but instead we have been discarded and pushed aside,” a grassroots leader told The Star. 

BN governed Malaysia for 61 years until it was toppled from power in the 2018 general election by the opposition led by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

MIC currently holds one parliamentary seat, namely Tapah, according to the New Straits Times.

The BN coalition holds a total of 30 seats in parliament, 26 of which belong to UMNO. 

In his speech at the party’s AGM on Sunday, MIC deputy president M Saravanan said joining PN would build a new platform that is more inclusive, principled and provides a wider space for the voices of the Indian community in Malaysia. 

“The existing cooperation no longer provides space for MIC to play an effective role to champion the interests of the Indian community and contribute meaningfully to national development,” Saravanan said, as quoted by The Star. 

The exit is however subject to the process and provisions enshrined in MIC’s constitution, he said.

Local media reported that the final decision will be postponed until MIC’s next central working committee meeting, with the delegates agreeing to leave the decision to its president Vigneswaran and the party’s top leadership. 

Vigneswaran said he met Anwar last Friday to discuss MIC’s situation within BN, as well as the constraints and challenges faced by the party, even as he stressed that these issues did not stem from Pakatan Harapan, the ruling coalition.

“We are in a dilemma because the prime minister himself has not committed any wrong (in this development). So we are firm about supporting him for the next two years,” he said, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today. 

Anwar however urged the party to reconsider its decision to leave BN, according to Vigneswaran.  

“I spoke to him, not to negotiate seats but to tell him we want to leave BN. He advised me to rethink because we have been with BN for a long time,” Vigneswaran was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today. 

At a press conference following the meeting, Vigneswaran told reporters the central working committee will decide whether MIC will align with PN or any other coalition, Astro Awani reported. 

He said two resolutions were tabled during the meeting. One was the proposal to leave BN and join PN, and the other was to grant the central working committee and party president the full mandate to determine the party’s political direction.

“It is not a matter of whether to leave or not, that part is already clear. The question is with whom and when,” he said, as quoted by Astro Awani.  

“In taking any step to join a new coalition, there are many factors to consider: Whether the coalition truly represents the aspirations of all communities, whether there will be constitutional amendments and many other issues that require clarifications,” he added.

The decision requires careful consideration and more time is needed for the committee to decide on a new political alliance, said Vigneswaran.

The party president did not disclose when the final decision will be made. 

A total of 1,808 delegates attended MIC’s annual general assembly on Sunday. 

According to Vigneswaran, BN’s chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also Malaysia’s deputy prime minister, had not been officially informed yet about the matter as MIC viewed it as an internal affair. 

On Oct 17, Zahid had said BN would not stand in the way if MIC decided to leave.

This is not the first time talk of MIC’s exit from BN has surfaced. 

Last month, former UMNO supreme council member Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said in a TikTok video that the party had already decided to leave BN, reported Malay Mail. 

Tajuddin claimed this was shared privately by Saravanan during Deepavali celebrations at his home last month.

MIC’s president Vigneswaran then clarified that the party has yet to make a decision. He said while members such as his deputy are entitled to express their views, any decision must be made by consensus, reported Berita Harian.