JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 1 — MIC will mobilise its nearly 3,000-member machinery to support Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) candidate Suhaizan Kaiat in the September 9 Pulai parliamentary by-election.
MIC vice-president Datuk M. Asojan said 12.31 per cent, or 20,508, of voters in the constituency are Indian, whose ballots could be significant in helping the candidate representing the Harapan-Barisan Nasional (BN) alliance win.
But Asojan admitted the Indian vote won’t be the kingmaker in the by-election if the Malay and Chinese votes are split.
“We cannot openly declare ourselves (Indians in Pulai) the kingmaker because this is a by-election and the result will depend on the percentage of voter turnout. Any race, if their turnout is low, will affect the outcome.
“However, the number of Indian voters is significant and we must strive to ensure at least 50 per cent of them come out to vote on September 9,” he told reporters after meeting members of the Indian community at the State Registered Federation of Indian Associations Office here last night.
On the support shown for Suhaizan by the Indian community in the constituency, Asojan said he is confident of solid backing for the Harapan candidate following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s commitment to address the local community’s problems within a year, including the issue of poverty.
“There is definitely some dissatisfaction over certain matters, including recent issues … raising doubt and scepticism among the MIC machinery. But MIC president Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran has provided clarification so we continue to support the unity government.
“This is in line with the promise made by the prime minister himself (to the Indian community) that he will ensure all Indian community-related problems and matters are taken note of, besides asking for a one-year period (to resolve the issues), so we trust him,” he said.
On August 2, Anwar reportedly said he would study MIC’s request for its party representatives to be given a bigger role in government.
— Bernama
