KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon is unfazed by the call by a Barisan Nasional (BN) Member of Parliament for him to step down as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for alleged poor performance.

"My answer to him is no. That is wrong. We will not be distracted. We are committed to what we want to do," he said in reference to the call by Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohamad Aziz last Thursday in the Dewan Rakyat.

"This is a very important period where we have to work together," he said, adding that under the new government of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, there have been a series of changes and challenges and one must ask how one could contribute to this process of change.

Koh attributed Mohamad's statement to "negative forces" and said it violated the spirit of BN, but added that he believed that with the support of all party members, the positive forces would eventually overcome the negative ones.

"Of course, there will be negative forces who don't agree... within the BN, within component parties, even within Gerakan. They will continue to blame others," he said when opening the Gerakan Life Members General Assembly here today.

When debating the Supply Bill 2010, Mohamad questioned the government's appointment of Koh as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department overseeing the Key Performance Index (KPI), saying he believed Koh had not performed well himself.

The government backbencher had also urged MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to withdraw from his ministerial post, saying he had lost the confidence of his own party and his image had been tarnished.

Koh said Gerakan was facing a difficult period and great challenges after the 2008 General Election.

"We have to go back to basics, to the people, by looking back at our history and struggle to move forward into a new era. We have a lot to do and work very hard," he said.

Wanita Gerakan chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe also expressed regret over Mohamad's statement, saying he had shown disrespect to the prime minister who had appointed Koh as a minister.

"It will not resolve the political exigency, and the BN can be likened to a sinking ship. It is an arrogant statement," she said in her Wanita Gerakan policy speech at the Gerakan Youth and Wanita Delegates Conference at Menara PGRM, here.

Gerakan Youth deputy chairman Oh Tong Keong said Mohamad's statement was contrary to the BN spirit as it could undermine relations among BN component parties.

Meanwhile, some 30 Gerakan Youth and Wanita members staged a protest for 15 minutes in front of the Dewan Wawasan of Menara PGRM demanding for Mohamad to withdraw his statement and apologise to Koh.