The Kimma, the party the BN do not want
By Ali Cordoba, WFOL.tv
Malaysian Indian Muslims are not happy with the Barisan Nasional again. However the Kimma does not represent the entire Indian Muslim community in Malaysia, WFOL.tv was told.
In the 33rd annual general assembly of the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma), its president Syed Ibrahim Kader threatened to withdraw support for the BN, again.
Overall, Syed Ibrahim Kader seems to be struggling to keep Kimma as a relevant component. Fighting tirelessly to become a component member of the BN, the Kimma leadership was told earlier last year that they were better off joining the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) or the People's Progressive Party (PPP).
"We cannot guarantee that the Indian Muslim community will be around to support the BN government forever," said Syed Ibrahim Kader at the assembly at Putrajaya. He claimed the community's efforts for the BN in the by-elections and general elections had not been recognised.
"We don't have a representative in the Senate. It is disappointing that another community, which is much smaller than we are, is in the Senate.
"We do not have a direct channel to air the grouses of the 750,000 Indian Muslims in the country," he said. He wanted the party of 80,000 members to be accepted into the BN after being rejected seven times.
The Kimma's main aim is to enlist the Indian Muslim community as Bumiputera's in Malaysia. This means they will benefit from the 'Bumi' status under the New Economic Plan (NEP) which offers a plethora of facilities to Musilms and non-Muslims listed as Bumi. To achieve this, the Kimma want its members to be allowed to register under the Umno, which the Umno presidents in the past – before the arrival of Najib Tun Razak – rejected on the basis that they were 'Indians' and had to join other BN component parties instead.
This had prompted the Kimma to stage protests (silent and at times through press conferences or by sending out press releases) but to no avail. The Umno remains, until today, adamant in persisting that the Kimma members are 'Indians' and would not be allowed to join the Umno.
On the otherhand, Syed Ibrahim said party leaders had been working tirelessly to remind members not to be enticed by the false promises of Pakatan Rakyat, which he claimed had offered Kimma members positions in their state governments.
Our information is that many of the former Kimma members have taken up some positions within the Party Keadilaan Rakyat (PKR) where they are welcomed. Kimma is said to have 80,000 members but this cannot be verified as many members of the Indian Muslim community contacted by WFOL.tv says they are not members of the Kimma.
Two years ago, there was an attempt by the Kimma to take over the PPP and impose a Muslim leadership within the party. The attempt failed, sources said thus closing the doors temporarily to the Kimma to join the BN, once again.
