.jpg "MIC vice-president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran speaks during a press conference at MIC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on May 23, 2018. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa")
KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — MIC said today that it is waiting to see how Umno is going to open up its party membership to non-Malays, before deciding to adopt the model.
The party’s vice-president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran said that he is confident Barisan Nasional (BN) can return to power if it enforces such a policy, but cautioned that it will take time.
“It is Umno that’s got to take the first step and we will see how we can adopt it.
“Only if Umno opens up, the time limit for it to take back power won’t be very long,” Vigneswaran, who is also Dewan Negara Speaker, told a press conference today.
“The fact of the matter is this, we are living in a polemic political situation.
“Can they change all that and make it a level playing field for everyone? It’s easier said than done. It’s not easy when it is in the Constitution,” Vigneswaran said, referring to the special position Malays are granted under the Federal Constitution.
In a recent interview, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said that it was high time that Umno revamped its political structure, to consider the possibility of opening the party’s membership to all, regardless of race.
Last week, MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai also said that MCA felt it was time for the Chinese-based party to carry out a study on becoming a multiracial party.
