Amid the tussle between MyPPP and MIC for Cameron Highlands, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that BN’s final decision on candidates for the 14th General Election will need to be respected.

Bernama reports Zahid as saying that he and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak would consider every candidate put forth by BN component parties, but that the final decision on those standing for GE14 would be Najib's alone.

“It is better for the seats allocated to a party not be disturbed by the other parties although the intentions are good.

“We know that each party is given opportunities based on criteria but we need to respect others so that no party feels hurt,” he said.

Zahid was responding to reports of MyPPP president M Kayveas holding a special meeting with MIC president Dr S Subramaniam to resolve the issue of candidacy for the parliamentary constituency of Cameron Highlands.

MIC has held the seat since 2004, with Subramaniam affirming that Najib has guaranteed the party another run in the coming election.

“The prime minister himself has informed me that the seat belongs to MIC and this will not be changed to other parties despite him (Kayveas) claiming the seat belongs to them,” Subramaniam said.

Last month, however, Kayveas threatened to run as an independent if MyPPP is not selected to stand in Cameron Highlands in GE14.

In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, Kayveas claimed the seat was rightfully his, as he has been waiting 17 years for his turn to contest there.

“The prime minister at that time, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, asked me to work in Cameron as early as 2000, so I have been working in that area since 2000.

“I still hold that Cameron originally belonged to MyPPP and it was taken away by MIC manipulation,” he noted, referring to him being shifted to Taiping for the 2004 and 2008 elections.

Former MIC president G Palanivel is the incumbent MP for Cameron Highlands.