MIC president expresses confidence in Indian community backing for BN candidates in Johor state election, denies RM221 million fund claim.
KULAI: MIC president Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran is confident that the Indian community will continue to support the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates in the Johor state election tomorrow, especially in the seats contested by MIC.
He said that the confidence was based on the good relationship between the MIC and both the federal and state governments in addressing and resolving various issues involving the Indian community.
“At the state level, we need representatives who can collaborate with the state government to ensure that the people’s problems can be resolved,” he said at a press conference here today.
Vigneswaran said that throughout the campaign, MIC took a mature approach by avoiding personal attacks on political opponents, while focusing on efforts to offer solutions to the people’s problems.
The 16th Johor state election will see four candidates representing the MIC, namely K. Raven Kumar in the Kemelah state assembly seat; V. Rugendran (Kahang); P. Pannir Selvam (Perling); and R. Kumaran (Bukit Batu).
In another development, Vigneswaran denied a Tamil portal’s claim that MIC received government funds amounting to RM221 million, describing the report as inaccurate and misleading.
He explained that the assistance received is an annual grant to AIMST University, a non-profit higher education institution owned by a foundation, for the purpose of maintaining facilities and reducing the university’s operating costs.
He said that since Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim became Prime Minister in 2023, the government has allocated RM25 million in grants each year to the university, including this year.
“All these allocations are audited and used for purposes such as upgrading dormitories, installing solar systems, and reducing the university’s operational costs so that student fees and financial burdens can be maintained at a lower rate,” he also said.
He added that MIC’s lawyer had been instructed to issue a letter of demand to the involved portal to correct the report and retract the allegations, which he deemed defamatory.
