PETALING JAYA: The outgoing Gerakan youth chief Mah Siew Keong said he would suggest again to abandon the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties and form a single multiracial party during the national delegates conference this Friday (10 Oct).

He said although the suggestion was criticized by many BN component parties leaders last year, but he felt that BN should move into this new direction especially after 8 March election.

"From the studies conducted after 8 March election, most of the people hope that BN will become a unified multiracial party. I believe that BN leaders should have the political courage and listen to the people, otherwise BN will face another tsunami in the next general election," Mah said during an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily.

Mah added BN had obtained good results based on the "racial" operation in the last 50 years, but this model was no longer appropriate.

"BN must change, the change must begin from the single multiracial party. Three major parties, including UMNO, MCA and MIC are based on single race. If they do not want to change, what role does Gerakan play in BN?" he asked.

He said indeed, there were racial-based parties said that they would fight for racial welfare after March 8 election, but Mah said this was not realistic at all.

"It is not to say the case like 'Ahmad Ismail' will be easily happened in a multiracial party. Since the party members are 100% Malays, he wants to be hero. And Mohd Khir Toyo agreed that Ahmad should not apologise, why?

Because he wants to contest the UMNO Youth Chief post and all the central delegates are Malays," he said.

He added candidates must gain all racial members' support in a multiracial party, therefore they would not make any extreme remarks in order to gain support from one race. (By LEE MENG FUN/ Sin Chew Daily)