IT is no loss for Barisan Nasional if founding members MCA and MIC quit the coalition, said secretary-general Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He said the parties are free to leave BN, which suffered its first general election defeat on May 9 last year.

“They are free to find new alliances and move on with the other parties that left BN after the 14th general election.

“I do not think it is a loss,” he told The Malaysian Insight today.

Nazri was responding to an MCA-MIC joint statement that said the parties are “left with no choice but to move on to explore a new alliance” as BN no longer reflects the principle of unity on which the coalition was formed.

The statement described Nazri’s appointment as BN secretary-general as illegal and not recognised by MCA and MIC.

The parties also hit out at his recent racial remarks, saying Nazri has further damaged ties between BN’s three founding members – Umno, MCA and MIC.

Nazri said he was appointed as BN secretary-general by the coalition’s chairman, who is also the Umno president.

He said BN is ready to work with PAS, Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma), Makkal Sakti and other parties that share the coalition’s vision.

“We also have direct membership for those interested in supporting us. They do not have to be Umno members, and they can still support us. There is no problem.”

The MCA-MIC statement followed PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan’s confirmation that the Islamist party and Umno are to meet on Thursday to explore ways to formalise their working relationship in a new Malay-Muslim pact.

He has also not ruled out the possibility of the parties using a common symbol in GE15.

Nazri said Umno-BN won the Semenyih by-election on Saturday with the help of PAS, not MCA and MIC.

“Likewise, in the coming Rantau by-election, we don’t need MIC’s support. They do not represent the Indian community. There are others who can do the job, like Kimma, Indian Progressive Front and Makkal Sakti.

“MCA, too, does not represent the Chinese community. DAP represents the community.

“Let them be civil society groups. They are no longer political parties.”

He said MCA and MIC should explore new alliances as Umno will team up with PAS in the Rantau polls and GE15.

“In the last two by-elections, Umno worked with PAS, and we won, so MIC and MCA are not important,” he said, referring to the Semenyih and Cameron Highlands contests.

Nazri added that the next BN supreme council meeting will be called after confirmation is given by the coalition’s acting chief, Mohamad Hasan. – March 4, 2019.