He pointed out that PKR and DAP had worked with PAS under the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat, while Umno had been Muafakat Nasional (MN) partners with the Islamic party, which later also fizzled out.
“When Pakatan Rakyat wanted to collaborate with PAS, it was hailed as ‘reform’. When Umno collaborated with PAS, it was referred to as the ‘unification of the ummah’.
“But when MIC starts considering linking up with PAS, it becomes an unacceptable issue, and we are asked to remain silent and confined within political boundaries set by others.
“This is the double standard we must confront,” he said in his opening remarks at MIC’s annual convention at IDCC Shah Alam today.
The MN charter was signed between Umno and PAS in 2019, when Pakatan Harapan was leading the federal government, as the two largest Malay-Muslim parties formalised a historic cooperation.
The pact fell apart after PAS formed Perikatan Nasional (PN) with Bersatu while insisting that Bersatu be included in MN, which Umno was against.
On Sept 5, PN secretary-general Azmin Ali confirmed that there were talks with MIC and MCA on a possible electoral cooperation for the next general election.
Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi had mocked these discussions as simply being the result of the parties struggling for their political survival with GE16 approaching.
Vigneswaran said many of BN’s major decisions were unilaterally made by Umno without consulting other component parties.
He said the decision to dissolve Parliament in 2022 to pave the way for the 15th general election was one such decision, with no consensus reached among BN components.
He said MIC was affected as it meant it had less time to rebuild its standing among voters, leading to a disastrous performance as only party deputy president M Saravanan was elected as an MP.
“We should have had one more year to rebuild, prepare and remind the people that MIC still stood with them.
“But we accepted the decision because we’re part of a coalition. We stood by it even when the ground beneath was unsteady and BN’s reputation was at its lowest ever.”
Despite MIC remaining steadfast in the partnership, he said the party was not afforded the respect it expected, particularly in BN’s decision to join hands with Pakatan Harapan and other coalitions to form the unity government.
He blamed BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for failing to defend MIC’s interests and said this was the cause of the party’s continued neglect in the current government.
“(The decision to work with PH) was made solely for the survival of Umno instead of the collective future of BN.
“No wise leadership will take on such an unpopular decision and expose its partners to risk, unless it’s driven by the urgency of its own predicament.
“The impact on MIC was quite clear. We have no ministers, no representatives in government-linked companies and no significant appointments due to a BN chairman who has failed to defend MIC’s interests,” he said.