PENANG: UMNO Bukit Bendera divisional chairman Datuk Ahmad Ismail said he absolutely believed that if Gerakan Rakyat, which had been discarded by the voters of Penang, chose to leave BN, MCA would secure unprecedented victory in the next election.

He said, "If Gerakan wants to leave BN, then let it go. Anway, having worked with (Gerakan acting president) Koh Tsu Koon for 18 years, all I can tell you is that he is a great liar!"

Ahmad Ismail made the above statement when asked to comment on the earlier remarks by Koh that if UMNO failed to resolve the penumpang issue, Gerakan would consider pulling out from BN, during a press conference at Menara UMNO in Penang Friday.