“Once you leave BN, there will be no road back,” he said when opening the Indian Progressive Front’s (IPF) general assembly here.

“Don’t push the BN leadership to make a decision… Only time will tell if you are heading down the right path.”

While Zahid did not specify which BN component party he was referring to, his comments come amid speculation that MIC and MCA may leave the coalition.

Umno, MCA and MIC are the founding members of the pre-independence Alliance Party, which officially became BN in 1974.

On Dec 7, MCA president Wee Ka Siong was reported as saying that the party would review its position in BN if Umno, its key ally, insists on continuing its cooperation with other parties outside the coalition, especially DAP.

MIC is also at a crossroads about leaving BN and has even sent an inquiry to Perikatan Nasional to obtain more information about joining the opposition coalition.

Zahid noted that the country’s political landscape remains fluid, with the next general election less than two years away.

“Many things can happen now and changes are expected,” he said.

“Don’t regret a decision that does not align with the evolving political landscape… You could be left hanging.”

Zahid on IPF’s request for full membership

On a separate note, Zahid hinted that the IPF’s request to elevate its status from “Friends of BN” to a full component party was unlikely to face opposition from the coalition’s core leaders.

Although he noted that such a decision requires consensus among BN’s core parties, he added, “In the near future, this proposal would not be opposed by anyone.”

Earlier in his speech, IPF president T Loganathan reiterated the party’s plea to be accepted as a full BN member after supporting the coalition for 35 years.

The IPF is an MIC splinter party that was formed in 1990.