Vigneswaran said he would chair the meeting soon, but did not give a specific date.
“I will discuss the matter with the central working committee to join PN. We will meet very soon and announce the date,” he told reporters at an event in Bukit Kemuning today.
On Thursday, former PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin confirmed that the coalition had approved MIC’s application to join.
Muhyiddin said PN had agreed to accept MIC as early as last year and was waiting for the party to make its move.
Talk of MIC leaving Barisan Nasional had been going on for some time, especially after the party’s 79th annual general assembly last November when delegates approved a motion empowering the leadership to consider such a move amid dissatisfaction over the party’s role and relevance.
Several Umno leaders, however, have repeatedly dismissed the speculation. BN secretary-general Zambry Abd Kadir said the coalition had received no official notification from MIC and insisted it remained part of BN.
Separately, Vigneswaran urged the Indian community to increase their use of Bahasa Melayu in all daily activities.
He said that the national language is crucial for unity and enables Malaysians from diverse ethnic backgrounds to progress together as a nation.
“Looking at our history, many Indian singers have been able to perform Malay-language songs exceptionally well. This is why I want the younger generation within the Indian community to further enhance their use of Bahasa Melayu,” he said.
Vigneswaran also welcomed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s move to mandate Bahasa Melayu and History as compulsory subjects in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) for all schools.
“I fully support this policy within our education system. It is in line with His Majesty’s call to ensure that Bahasa Melayu continues to be upheld and strengthened,” he said.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, in his address at the opening of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament, stressed that Bahasa Melayu must remain the primary language of the country as it is the national language.
The king also said that any proposal to recognise other education systems must also accept Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah as foundational subjects.