Zahid said MIC could also contest in other seats but its request would be subject to negotiations with the BN leadership.

“Tan Sri Vicky (MIC president SA Vigneswaran), I promise, whatever seats contested by MIC in GE14 and past polls will remain with the party. If you want more, you can check with Tok Mat (BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan).

“But I am confident that Tok Mat, the prime minister and I will do our best for MIC because we feel that the togetherness of BN component parties has paid dividends in the past,” Zahid said when launching the national MIC Brigade and crime prevention exhibition here today.

MIC has expressed its intention to contest in 12 parliamentary seats at the next general election.

In 2018, the party had contested in nine parliamentary seats, namely Sungai Siput and Tapah in Perak; Sungai Buloh, Hulu Selangor, Kapar and Kota Raja (Selangor); Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan); Segamat (Johor) and Cameron Highlands (Pahang).

The party won in Tapah, contested by MIC deputy president M Saravanan, and in Cameron Highlands but MIC Youth leader C Sivarraajh’s victory there was later nullified by an election court.