INCUMBENT Tapah MP M. Saravanan has said he wishes to defend his seat in the upcoming general election.

The MIC deputy president, who is also human resources minister, said this is because voters in Tapah know the services and help he has given them as their MP. 

“If I go to another place people would not know of my services. The people of Tapah know what I did during Covid-19 and who gave (them) help.

“As long as the people of Tapah want me, I prefer the Tapah seat, but that is subject to the approval of the party president,” he told a press conference after officiating the Perak Hindu Houses of Worship Convention in Ipoh today. 

Previously, Johor Umno deputy chairman Nur Jazlan Mohamed had asked MIC to participate in a “trade” if the party wants to contest the Pulai parliamentary seat in the elections.

Nur Jazlan, who is also Pulai Umno chief, was reported as saying MIC, under the trade, should swap Tapah with Pulai as he is confident Barisan Nasional (BN) will win it if an Umno candidate is placed there, because it is a Malay-majority constituency.

Saravanan said the decision on seat distribution is the prerogative of BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and will leave matters pertaining to this to the party leadership. – Bernama, September 11, 2022.