MIC and MCA should have at least been given a ministerial post as a sign of respect when the unity government was formed, MIC president S.A. Vigneswaran said today.

Expressing his dissatisfaction, Vigneswaran said they felt sidelined despite being part of the unity government.

“We could have only got one seat (in last year’s general election) but in the spirit of Barisan Nasional, the prime minister should have considered MCA and MIC for a minister’s post, compared to those who lost in the election and yet were given ministerial posts,” he said.

“I understand that it (minister’s post) is given to parties out of respect, but we are not given anything and we (MIC) in the unity government are just treated like a stepchild.”

Vigneswaran was speaking at a meeting held between MIC leaders and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Indian party’s headquarters today.

MIC contested 10 parliamentary seats in the November general election but only managed to secure one – Tapah – which was won by incumbent and party deputy president M. Saravanan.

In Padang Serai, the seat was decided after that election.

MIC’s candidate for the seat, Sivaraj Chandran, was asked to withdraw as Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional (BN) had already formed the unity government at the federal level.

Sivaraj was later appointed a senator but no ministerial or government-linked company positions were given to MIC.

Saravanan has held the human resource minister’s post in the previous two governments led by Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob respectively.

Vigneswaran said BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had claimed that MIC would be considered for a government’s post after the general election.

“We are not making any demands to be given government positions… but give MIC and MCA adequate respect,” he said.

In the latest development, Vigneswaran confirmed that the party will be working with Makkal Sakti, an ally of BN. – August 2, 2023.