KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 — The Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP), an Indian-based party seen as friendly to the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, is hoping to contest four parliamentary seats and five state seats in the upcoming 15th general election (GE15), a report has said.
News portal Malaysiakini reported MMSP president Datuk Seri RS Thanenthiran as noting that the political party had resolved today to ask to contest this number of seats under BN.
“We came to a resolution in our Annual General Meeting and have requested (to contest) for four parliamentary seats and five state assembly seats,” he was quoted saying, having also noted that BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had promised to allocate seats for the party to contest in the elections.
He was also reported saying that MMSP’s intentions to contest in these seats would not affect other seats allocated to BN component parties for the general elections.
BN’s component parties are mainstay party Umno and fellow allies — the Chinese-based party MCA, Indian-based party MIC and Sabah-based party Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS).
Malaysiakini also reported him as saying that MMSP supports BN deputy chairman and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan to hold GE15 immediately, due to alleged “unforeseen and unstable political conditions that have threatened the state of the country”.
Launched in October 2009 by then prime minister and then Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the MMSP is led by Thanenthiran who was a former leader of the Hindraf movement.
MMSP is not a member of the BN coalition.
In December 2020, MMSP was reported saying that it had in its 12th annual general meeting (AGM) adopted resolutions, including to join BN as a component party and to contest under the BN umbrella in GE15.
At that time, BN deputy chairman Mohamad had reportedly said BN should be inclusive and is open to accepting other parties, but said all existing four BN component parties must come to a consensus before giving such approvals.
Mohamad had also commented on MMSP’s request then to contest on BN tickets in three parliamentary seats and seven state seats in GE15, saying this should be considered as MMSP is a partner that has helped the coalition despite not being a component party and even when BN was not in power.
In September 2021, BN chairman and Umno president Ahmad Zahid was reported saying that he believed MMSP would be allocated parliamentary seats or state seats in GE15 after BN component parties discuss MMSP’s request to do so.
MMSP had then said it had requested to be accepted into BN as a component party and had asked to be able to contest four parliamentary seats and seven state seats in GE15 under BN, and that it had been waiting for 13 years to be allowed to contest using the BN ticket.
In October 2021, MIC was reported saying it had no problem with electoral seats being allocated for MMSP to contest as there have so far been no overlaps between other BN component parties and MIC’s seats, and also stating that he believed Ahmad Zahid may also offer seats to BN-friendly parties All Malaysian Indian Progressive Front, the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) and the Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP).
On January 7 this year, the MMSP had held an event at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) with the tagline “Bossku — Our National Pride” where Najib was present as BN advisory board chairman and as Pekan MP, with Najib — who goes by the “Bossku” moniker — present and addressing MMSP leaders.
According to MMSP’s own Facebook posts, its president Thanenthiran had met with BN Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki as well as BN deputy chairman Mohamad earlier today, with both meetings at Menara Dato Onn, World Trade Centre — which is Umno’s headquarters.
Thanenthiran’s press conference at World Trade Centre today was also streamed live on Facebook by BN.
