KUALA LUMPUR: MIC has confirmed it will be contesting in nine seats in the 15th general election (GE15), but is hopeful of being given more seats come nomination day.
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MIC deputy president M Saravanan said party chief SA Vigneswaran and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi were still engaged in discussions on election seats.
“I hope that there will be additional seats,” he told reporters after a Deepavali event attended by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Brickfields last night.
The party had previously expressed its intention to contest in 12 parliamentary seats.
Saravanan said support for the party had been growing after the 2018 general election (GE14).
“We saw a big change among the Indian community, from less than 10% support in GE14 to around 37% in Cameron Highlands, Melaka, and Johor, and I am confident this will grow in GE15,” Saravanan said.
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Last month, Zahid had announced that MIC would be allocated all the seats it had previously contested in 2018 but added that the party could contest in other seats, subject to negotiations with BN’s leadership.
He said BN leaders would do their best for MIC “because we feel that the togetherness of BN component parties has paid dividends in the past”.
In 2018, MIC contested Sungai Siput and Tapah in Perak; Sungai Buloh, Hulu Selangor, Kapar and Kota Raja (Selangor); Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan); Segamat (Johor) and Cameron Highlands (Pahang).
It was previously reported that MIC, MCA and candidates from parties recognised as Friends of BN, would be allocated seats that were given to Gerakan in GE14. Gerakan left the coalition in 2018 and joined Perikatan Nasional (PN) last year.
GE15 will take place on Nov 19, with nomination day on Nov 5 and early voting set for Nov 15.–FMT