Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced plans to hold talks with the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) to address speculation that the BN component party might join Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Speaking to reporters after launching six encyclopaedias and presenting appointment letters to translators for the Encyclopaedia of Hadith Values by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Zahid confirmed he would personally discuss the matter with MIC president S. A. Vigneswaran.
“I will ask him [Vigneswaran] directly,” Zahid said, responding succinctly to questions about MIC’s potential shift.
The speculation arose after Vigneswaran indicated that MIC had not dismissed the possibility of aligning with PN, though he cautioned it was premature to make a definitive decision.
Describing an invitation from PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man as a “preliminary courtship,” Vigneswaran emphasized that MIC would carefully evaluate the proposal before deciding. He distinguished MIC’s potential ties with PAS and Bersatu from the longstanding rivalry between UMNO and DAP, noting that a decision would follow thorough deliberation.
On September 12, Tuan Ibrahim revealed that several parties had expressed interest in joining PN, though he refrained from naming specific BN components. He clarified that applications, ranging from full membership to “friends of PN” status, would be reviewed at forthcoming PN Supreme Council meetings.
Tuan Ibrahim also welcomed collaboration with other groups, including non-governmental organizations, to advance PN’s objectives.
