Former PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said MIC’s entry into the coalition would consolidate Indian political representation under or around PN. - Scoop file pic, January 22, 2026
MIC’s entry into PN could unite Indian political representation: Muhyiddin
Perikatan Nasional (PN) has approved MIC’s application to join the coalition, former PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says, potentially consolidating Indian political influence under PN and giving voters broader choices ahead of future elections
Sandru Narayanan
Updated 27 minutes ago
22 January, 2026
4:05 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR — Perikatan Nasional (PN) believes that MIC’s entry into the coalition would consolidate Indian political representation under or around PN, providing Indian voters with a wider spectrum of political choices, former PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
“If MIC joins us, it would be as if all Indian political parties were either in or associated with PN,” he said, adding that Indian voters have the right to decide their political alignment.
Muhyiddin confirmed that PN had already approved MIC’s application to join the coalition, with the final decision now resting with the party’s leadership.
“It’s not a secret. They have applied, we have considered it, and in fact, it was last year that we decided to accept MIC,” he said in an interview with selected members of the press last night.
The former prime minister, who stepped down as PN chairman effective Jan 1, said MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran had been given a mandate to determine the party’s political direction and the timing of any decision.
“I was always in communication with Vigneswaran and Datuk Seri M Saravanan (the deputy president) when they came to discuss matters,” he added, noting that PN had made its expectations clear and hoped MIC would decide in the coalition’s favor.
Muhyiddin said MIC’s entry could reshape the Indian political landscape by strengthening representation within PN and broadening the coalition’s appeal beyond its traditional support base.
It was reported yesterday that PN had approved MIC’s application during a PN Supreme Council meeting on Dec 9 last year, citing Bersatu and PN sources.
According to the report, Muhyiddin briefed the council on a letter from MIC and his discussions with the party’s leadership, with MIC’s potential entry seen as a move to strengthen PN’s election machinery and attract non-Malay support, particularly among Indian voters in urban constituencies.
However, the proposal reportedly drew objections from the Malaysian Indian People’s Party, a PN component, which urged the coalition to defer MIC’s admission, as the party remains part of Barisan Nasional (BN).
Speculation over MIC leaving BN has circulated for some time, especially after its 79th annual general assembly last November, where delegates passed a motion empowering the leadership to consider such a move amid growing dissatisfaction over the party’s role and relevance within the coalition.
Several Umno leaders have since dismissed the speculation. BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir said last night that the coalition had received no official notification from MIC and insisted that the party remains a BN component. – January 22, 2026
MIC’s entry into PN could unite Indian political representation: Muhyiddin
Perikatan Nasional (PN) has approved MIC’s application to join the coalition, former PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin says, potentially consolidating Indian political influence under PN and giving voters broader choices ahead of future elections
Sandru Narayanan
Updated 27 minutes ago
22 January, 2026
4:05 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR — Perikatan Nasional (PN) believes that MIC’s entry into the coalition would consolidate Indian political representation under or around PN, providing Indian voters with a wider spectrum of political choices, former PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
“If MIC joins us, it would be as if all Indian political parties were either in or associated with PN,” he said, adding that Indian voters have the right to decide their political alignment.
Muhyiddin confirmed that PN had already approved MIC’s application to join the coalition, with the final decision now resting with the party’s leadership.
“It’s not a secret. They have applied, we have considered it, and in fact, it was last year that we decided to accept MIC,” he said in an interview with selected members of the press last night.
The former prime minister, who stepped down as PN chairman effective Jan 1, said MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran had been given a mandate to determine the party’s political direction and the timing of any decision.
“I was always in communication with Vigneswaran and Datuk Seri M Saravanan (the deputy president) when they came to discuss matters,” he added, noting that PN had made its expectations clear and hoped MIC would decide in the coalition’s favor.
Muhyiddin said MIC’s entry could reshape the Indian political landscape by strengthening representation within PN and broadening the coalition’s appeal beyond its traditional support base.
It was reported yesterday that PN had approved MIC’s application during a PN Supreme Council meeting on Dec 9 last year, citing Bersatu and PN sources.
According to the report, Muhyiddin briefed the council on a letter from MIC and his discussions with the party’s leadership, with MIC’s potential entry seen as a move to strengthen PN’s election machinery and attract non-Malay support, particularly among Indian voters in urban constituencies.
However, the proposal reportedly drew objections from the Malaysian Indian People’s Party, a PN component, which urged the coalition to defer MIC’s admission, as the party remains part of Barisan Nasional (BN).
Speculation over MIC leaving BN has circulated for some time, especially after its 79th annual general assembly last November, where delegates passed a motion empowering the leadership to consider such a move amid growing dissatisfaction over the party’s role and relevance within the coalition.
Several Umno leaders have since dismissed the speculation. BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir said last night that the coalition had received no official notification from MIC and insisted that the party remains a BN component. – January 22, 2026
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