KUANTAN: People’s Progressive Party (MyPPP) president Tan Sri M. Kayveas’s ambition to contest the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat in the upcoming general election has been described as “inappropriate”.
Pahang MIC chairman Datuk R. Goonasakaren also described Kayveas's aim as “absurd”, as Cameron Highlands has been a traditional MIC seat.
He said although its MP Datuk Seri G. Palanivel is no longer an MIC member, the Cameron Highlands MIC division has continued to serve the people there.
“I find it strange that Kayveas wants to contest there just because he has been working there for the past two years. It seems unfair,” he told the New Straits Times today.
Goonasakaran said only Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak and MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam can decide who to contest in the seat.
On Saturday, Kayveas said that he will contest the Cameron Highlands seat under the BN ticket or field himself as an independent candidate in the 14th General Election.
His statement comes less than a week after Dr Subramaniam, during the 71st Pahang MIC Convention in Temerloh, announced that MIC's election machinery has been mobilised in Cameron Highlands.
Meanwhile, a senior MIC leader said Kayveas’s ambitious move has shocked many people, especially his own supporters.
“Such a statement is uncalled for. It is strange that it comes from a BN component party leader. The statement does not reflect the spirit of BN and some might translate it as a threat.
“In fact, Kavyeas seems to be more aggressive and eager (to contest in Cameron Highlands) after MIC announced C. Sivarraajh (MIC Youth Chief) as the MIC Cameron Highlands coordinator several weeks ago, " he said.
The leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, ruled out the possibility of a seat swap between MIC and MyPPP.
It was learnt that Kavyeas was not present when the Regent of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob were in Cameron Highlands for a three-day visit last week, while Sivarraajh was part of the entourage.
The Cameron Highlands parliamentary constituency is currently represented by Palanivel, who won it in the 13th General Election with a narrow majority of 462 votes.