Why not just dissolve all component parties, BN told

Er - let's see if BN is really serious!
KUALA LUMPUR - The Barisan Nasional has been urged to do the last thing it would do: dissolve all its race-based component parties as a solution to overcome racial sentiments in the country.

This call was made by Bakri member of parliament Er Teck Hwa, following the coalition's move to accept direct membership recently, enabling a person or NGO to join directly as a BN member without having to become members of parties such as UMNO, MCA, Gerakan or MIC.

Observers believe the move was a strategy for UMNO to overcome the increasingly unreliable component parties in BN in preparation for the next general election.

Er said the decision to admit members directly showed that UMNO’s influence in BN was overwhelming and that the party was sidelining its other partners in the coalition.

“The racial taunts are still very common in UMNO general assembly. UMNO is not much difference from Perkasa which is seen to be racist. UMNO’s absolute power has been marginalising the role of other component parties in Barisan Nasional,” Er told Harakahdaily in a statement.

On MCA and Gerakan, Er said there was a perception among voters that the two Chinese-based parties were 'cowards' for failing to stand up against UMNO.

He added that UMNO's dwindling financial resources and inability to widen its political influence in the country had caused it to lose confidence in the component parties.

Er said the BN would do well to get rid of all race-based policies and race-based parties if they were sincere in defending the country's well-being, but added that UMNO would not agree to his idea because racial issues had always been manipulated.

“They still need to use racial issues to find cheap publicity. UMNO’s absolute power in BN is eroding and forfeited the role of Chinese based component parties in BN,” he said, and said UMNO had resorted to use non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the recent Galas by-election as proof that the Malay party no longer needed its other BN partners to woo support from other races.

“This will lead to a situation where UMNO will take over those seats from component parties because they are not performing well. Despite the component parties opposing the direct membership move, the proposal was accepted," said Er.

- Harakahdaily

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