Saravanan said parties such as the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress, Makkal Sakti, Indian Progressive Front (IPF), and the Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP) — known as “Friends of BN” — had already contested in the previous general election.

He said this reinforced MIC’s confidence that its seats would remain unaffected in GE16, Utusan Malaysia reported.

“They (the parties) were previously allocated seats. In GE15, IPF, Kimma, Makkal Sakti and MIUP were all given constituencies to contest. Our intention, as part of this ‘big tent’, is to ensure BN’s overall success.

“Even the MIC president (SA Vigneswaran) has announced that there is no obstacle to giving them opportunities, which means MIC’s parliamentary seats will remain secure,” he said at the Tapah BN Aidilfitri celebration yesterday.

On Saturday, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the coalition would retain its seat allocation formula for upcoming elections, with some adjustments to recognise the long-standing loyalty of “Friends of BN”.

Zahid, who is also the Umno president, said this is crucial to ensure political cooperation is reflected through a fair and balanced distribution of seats.

Commenting on rumours that he may contest the Sungai Siput seat while Vigneswaran could run in Tapah, Saravanan dismissed the claims as mere speculation.

Saravanan said MIC’s top leadership would meet to determine the parliamentary seats it will contest in GE16, focusing on winnable constituencies amid a challenging political landscape.

“MIC membership is growing every month, both online and physical, with numbers now reaching the hundreds of thousands. This shows the party continues to enjoy support and remains a voice for the Indian community.

“If given parliamentary seats with a balanced voter composition, we have strong chances of winning,” he added.