In opening the convention, Vigneswaran said MIC, one of Malaysia’s oldest political parties, had reached a crossroads in its journey with Barisan Nasional.
He reminded the delegates that MIC started out as one of the three founding partners of the Alliance party, which later became BN.
The former MP said MIC has reached a full circle, with the party now one of the three remaining West Malaysian parties left in BN.
However, he questioned whether the relationship among the partners in BN – Umno, MIC and MCA – was what was envisioned by the figures who created the Alliance in 1957.
“As such, we must ask ourselves a fundamental question: why have others left BN? And why are we still with BN? Do we truly believe that the BN of today still reflects the original Alliance?
“I trust you, the delegates, as the custodians of our party, to now determine the most viable alternative for MIC and to chart the path forward with clarity and purpose.
“Today’s decision will define our future direction, relevancy, and strength in the years to come. We face a crossroads,” he told the delegates at IDCC Shah Alam here.
Vigneswaran said BN cannot expect MIC to remain loyal when other component parties were acting unilaterally for their survival without consulting his party.
He said MIC should be given the same freedom to explore and forge alliances that can ensure its survival and legacy with other parties or figures, even with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
“MIC is not a junior party that can be directed by those outside the party. We are a founding party of BN. We also have the right and even the responsibility to explore any alliance that can protect the interests of our community,” he said.
Vigneswaran, a former Senate president, said the threads that had bound MIC with BN have “begun to fray” and his party must confront such new realities.
“The thread was woven by the sweat of our founders and sealed by decades of our loyalty, but when it has begun to tear, we cannot sit quietly and pretend it’s still whole,” he said.
He warned against allowing nostalgia to determine MIC’s future in BN, saying its solidarity with its coalition partners has been perceived as a weakness or even used as a tool to silence the party.
“This convention is not about the breaking of bonds, but the awakening of courage,” he added.