WHILE confirming that MCA will contest the Sabah state election under Barisan Nasional ticket, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has dismissed suggestions of cracks within Barisan Nasional (BN), insisting the coalition remains united ahead of the next general election.

He said that despite differing opinions among component parties, Umno, MCA and MIC continue to work together within BN’s decision-making framework.

“We also done our  research, the grassroot members do not want to leave BN, but certain figures perhaps need ‘toys’, so when they no longer get ‘toys,’ then they stamp their feet on the floor,” Ahmad Zahid told Mingguan Malaysia.

He likened internal disagreements to family disputes, saying they do not undermine the coalition’s core unity.

Meanwhile, MIC president SA Vigneswaran has expressed surprise over a claim by Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that he had met MIC leaders on numerous occasions last week to discuss its future in the coalition.

Vigneswaran told FMT that the last time he met Zahid, the Umno president, in his capacity as the MIC president was about two years ago.

“I also met him about three months ago. I was at a national unity meeting which he also attended.”

He also said he had not met Zahid to discuss the party’s position in BN following talk that MIC was heading towards leaving the coalition to join Perikatan Nasional.

And while he could not speak for MCA, Vigneswaran said as far as MIC was concerned, his meeting with Zahid, which was supposed to take place last Thursday, was postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.

Ti reminded Zahid that both MCA and MIC remained loyal to BN even after the coalition’s crushing defeat in the 2018 general election which ended its 61-year rule.

He added that neither party abandoned BN when its reputation took a further hit following a slew of corruption charges against Umno leaders – including Zahid himself – and his conditional discharge.