PUTRAJAYA, Aug 27- The MIC is ready to accept all Indian-based parties under its umbrella but does not agree to have the party dissolved and form a new one to represent the Indians.
Stressing this, party deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said it was inappropriate for MIC, one of the oldest political parties in the country, to lose its identity.
The MIC was established in August 1946.
Dr Subramaniam, who is also health minister, said: “They asked the MIC to ‘gulung’ (fold up), we are not prepared to ‘gulung’. The original idea was that everybody merge with MIC, for which we are quite prepared.
“But some of them still want to maintain their identity. Another thing is, they want guarantee of certain positions and posts. That will depend on ability to accommodate their request.”
He said this at a press conference after launching the Malaysian Health System in Transition (HiT) Country Report here Monday.
Sunday, Barisan Nasional (BN) secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor urged all Indian-based political parties under the BN to merge into a single entity in the best interest of the Indian community.
Tengku Adnan, who is also federal territories minister, said the merging of the parties was vital for the BN, especially after only 48 per cent support were garnered from the Indian community in the last general election.
– BERNAMA
