SUNGAI SIPUT, March 21 — How Umno and PAS buried the hatchet after 40 years of enmity can serve as a guide for Umno and Bersatu to mend their strained ties, said a Barisan Nasional (BN) leader.

MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran said the party believes both Umno and Bersatu are capable of ironing out issues faced between them.

"This is Umno’s stand (not to cooperate with Bersatu in the 15th General Election). MIC as a component party respects whatever decision taken by the BN leadership.

"I hope both (Umno dan Bersatu) can come together and sort out the issues,” he told reporters at a programme to handout medical aid at the MIC service centre here today.

Umno and Bersatu leaders have been issuing varying statements of late on GE15 seat allocations and how to secure the Malay vote.

Vigneswaran said what matters most now is for the BN leadership to set a clear direction in matters relating to inter-party cooperation in the run-up to GE15.

Meanwhile, Vigneswaran said confidential talks allegedly arranged between Umno leaders and Pakatan Harapan (PH) would not work as it would not get the blessing from the grassroots.

He said it was difficult for Umno to work with opposition parties be it from DAP, PKR or Amanah.

"I hope Umno will make the right decision despite allegations of certain leaders having ‘private discussions’ with PH because the grassroots will not be agreeable to this,” he said.

PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently did not rule out the possibility of collaborating with Umno, although he said discussions on it had not been done formally, besides also claiming that the collaboration was supported by several leaders and MPs from Umno. — Bernama