KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — Selangor MCA has no objections to its ally Umno using its own party logo for the state’s Sungai Kandis by-election early next month.
Its secretary Ng Chok Sin said that the Chinese-based party was focusing on its own internal elections for now and would not object to Umno’s proposal on contesting using the latter’s logo in the by-election for the state seat.
“Umno can try to contest under their own logo and we accept it without any objections,” he was quoted as telling local daily Sinar Harian.
He said MCA would also face the 15th general election (GE15) together with Umno as the federal Opposition to regain their former glory.
Umno, MCA and MIC are the remaining members of the 13-member Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition following the 14th general election (GE14), where it lost federal power for the first time and recorded its lowest share of the popular vote.
BN candidates traditionally contest using the BN logo in elections, regardless of which component party they come from.
But Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan recently said it was crucial for Umno to test the waters as an Opposition party by contesting under its own logo in the Sungai Kandis by-election.
On Thursday, MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam told Malay Mail that Umno should be ready to try and win over non-Malay voters in Sungai Kandis on its own since it wants to use its own logo in the by-election.
“We will not stop Umno if that is what they want to do. As it is, MIC is more focused on strengthening itself as a party and its relationship within the Indian community.
“As the constituency has more than 70 per cent Malay voters, I don’t think Umno is interested in the non-Malay [voice]. If at all they are, then they should be ready to canvas for the non-Malay votes by themselves,” he had said.
MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong had on Thursday said he would bring the matter to his party president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and ask the latter to issue a statement.
The Sungai Kandis by-election will be held on August 4 and nomination day is July 21.
The seat became vacant following the death of PKR state assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei on July 2.
