Trouble brewing up in Perikatan Nasional?

All is not well in the opposition alliance Perikatan Nasional following the inclusion of the Malaysian Indian People’s Party.

MIPP president P Punithan in a statement claimed that the party’s inclusion in PN refected PN’s commitment to the wellbeing of the Indian community.

His statement was however downplayed by a Bersatu associate wing leader who viewed MIPP’s inclusion as a branding exercise.

For the record, MIPP is an exclusively Indian party whereas the associate wing accomodate non-Malays in Bersatu.

“Generally, the associate wing feels upset about this, especially its Indian leaders. We were not even consulted about this,” said a source, reported FMT.

“The justification of accepting an Indian-based party because PN needs an ‘Indian face’ is totally absurd (and) will directly undermine the wing.”

The source also said PN should be bolstering the wing if it is serious about gaining Indian votes.

“The associate wing’s Indian members are increasing, and it is slowly becoming a formidable Indian vote bank thanks to careful management by the wing’s leadership,” he said.

“Empowering the associate wing is a more practical solution. Moreover, the wing is getting stronger by the day – albeit slowly.”

PN is made up of Bersatu PAS, Gerakan, SAPP and MIPP.