MUAR: MIC hopes that seat negotiations with Barisan Nasional within the Johor polls will take into accounts local sentiments and the views of assorted communities, say sources from the state coalition.
Talk is rife that MIC has been provided two seats of Paloh and Tangkak, which the get together is just not eager on taking.
The sources mentioned that asking MIC to contest in these seats would upset the Chinese group particularly in Tangkak, which was historically an MCA seat.
“Although it is within the Ledang parliamentary seat, it will be difficult for MIC to win in Tangkak. The same goes for Paloh,” the sources mentioned.
The Paloh seat is inside the Sembrong parliamentary seat.
In GE14, MIC contested and received the Kahang and Tenggaroh seats however misplaced the Gambir and Skudai seats.MCA contested the Paloh and Tangkak seats within the normal election.
In this coming state election, MIC can be eyeing Perling, Permas and Pemanis state seats.
“All this talk about moving candidates started after Bersatu and Pejuang joined in the fray and planned to field heavyweight candidates in both Tangkak and Gambir against MIC and MCA.
“As such, Umno wants to field its own candidates in Gambir and Kahang,” the sources mentioned, including that MIC would like to retain its Kahang seat.
It is speculated that political events will be fielding Chinese candidates for the Tangkak seat whereas Malay candidates will be fielded for the Gambir seat.
Ledang Umno division chief Datuk Hamim Samuri has requested for Umno to contest within the Gambir state seat.
He mentioned in 2004, the seat was given to MIC to contest because the earlier Kota Tinggi division chief Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar refused to make means for a seat to be given to MIC.
