Labuan MIC dissolved and supports Dr Mahathir
LABUAN: After more than three decades as a Barisan Nasional (BN) component party in Labuan, the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) Labuan division finally decided to leave the BN and declare its support for Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership effective immediately.
MIC Labuan was established in 1986 after Umno and MCA spread its wings here and had set up five branches with 336 members.
Its former chairman, Datuk Ramasamy Rengasamy, announced the division’s decision after meeting all the members of all the branches on the political direction of the Indian community on the island yesterday.
He said the decision was made after consulting the leadership at MIC headquarters, who gave the freedom to Labuan MIC to act on its own.
“We have come up with a resolution on our political stand, in which, in the interest of the Indian community here, we want to support the Prime Minister and the government of the day,” he told reporters after a two-hour meeting with MIC Labuan leaders and members at Lazenda Hotel yesterday.
Ramasamy said the former Labuan MIC leaders and its members have yet to make any decision on which component party in Pakatan Harapan (PH) they would be joining, but a decision would be made known before the year end.
“I will be consulting the Labuan member of parliament on our political direction in the interest of Indian community and to seek his advice before making any decision,” he said.
He said there were no elements forcing the dissolution of the division here, but rather was made for the betterment of unity in Labuan.
“Nobody forced us to dissolve MIC Labuan, we stay together and united, our decision is consolidated as one voice. We respect the Prime Minister, the Labuan MP and the Labuan Corporation chairman.
“We want to be part and parcel of the development in Labuan as in the past,” Ramasamy said.
The dissolution of MIC Labuan will see Umno and MCA remaining as the opposition on the island.