The Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) will not contest the Melaka state election after failing to reach an agreement with Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders.
MIPP president P Punithan told FMT that the party would not compromise its principles simply to secure seats in the Nov 14 polls.
He said MIPP’s struggle was to defend the interests of the Indian community with dignity and principle, adding that the community deserved proper recognition and representation in the political landscape.
“Seats can be sought, but the dignity of our struggle must never be sacrificed,” he said.
“For MIPP, dignity and principles are more important than pursuing irrelevant seats. We will not sacrifice our principles merely for political interests.
“MIPP is not a party that will compromise simply for the sake of becoming candidates.”
MIPP stresses principles and inclusiveness
Punithan said teamwork, mutual respect and inclusiveness were essential to any political coalition.
He added that a strong alliance had to be built on trust and a willingness to respect the interests of every component party.
MIPP failed to win any of the five seats it contested in its electoral debut in Johor this year, with all five candidates losing their deposits.
BN and PN seat allocation
On Wednesday, Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said BN would contest 21 of Melaka’s 28 state seats, while PAS and its allies would contest the remaining seven.
The announcement followed weeks of speculation over a possible electoral pact between BN and PN in Melaka.
However, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said seat distribution had yet to be finalised, although he maintained that cooperation between the parties was certain.
Nomination for the Melaka election will take place on Saturday, with early voting scheduled for Nov 10 and polling on Nov 14.
In the 2021 state election, BN won 21 of the 28 seats, while Pakatan Harapan secured five and PN won two.
