Sabah MIC says ready for seat

Kota Kinabalu: After expanding to Sabah soon after Umno did in 1990, the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) feels it is time to test its popularity and acceptance in Sabah and hope to be given the Likas or Tanjung Aru State seats.Its Sabah Chairman Datuk V. Jothi suggested that in the event no State or Parliamentary constituency could be available for the party which has been in Sabah for 25 years, it is only logical that the six Nominated Assembly posts be revived and the party be given a seat.

"I must ask, otherwise people will think that we are unwise not to ask for seats to contest.

Or at least be given a Nominated Assemblyman seat to represent our community which has been loyal to the government (of the day)," he said.

The sabah MIC had previoulsy also requested to be given one of the Senator posts.

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He said Sabah has about 12,000 Indians of whom 2,000 are Sabah MIC members.

This excludes the Indian Muslims who are with Kimma.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman scrapped the nominated seats appointments after he took over the state leadership.

The practice of having six Nominated Assembly representatives in the Sabah Assembly was introduced by the colonial administration only for Sabah, but it was exploited by politicians to reward cronies instead of for minorities as originally intended.

The nominated appointments also began to be seen in negative election which PBS won by a single seat when the defeated Berjaya party and Usno's assemblymen tried to prevent PBS from forming a simple majority government.

Except for MIC, MCA and Gerakan, the other BN paninsula-based parties are represented in the State Assembly.

"No, I think KK has more Indians," said Johti, when told that there may be a lot more Indians in Tawau.

According to him, others would not take MIC seriously if he did not even attempt to ask for a constituency to contest for MIC after having helmed the party for over two decades.

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MIC's other bridesmaid to Umno, - MCA managed to get two seats to contest in the last polls but alas, like the SAPP, lost all. So seeking just one seat for MIC is not asking for too much at all.

Johti said MIC has more than 2,000 members, with more than 3,600 active voters all over the state, more than 500 in Kota Kinabalu, 400 in Penampang and 300 in Putatan. - David Thien

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