Former Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik today urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to be brave in implementing radical changes to make Barisan Nasional relevant again.

He said that Najib should be willing to even revamp the coalition into something totally new if need be.

"You have to do what your father did. If BN has become useless, then you have to throw it away," said the veteran politician.

koh tsu koon gerakan pc 100409 02 He was referring to the decision by Najib's father Abdul Razak Hussein to revamp the Alliance coalition into Barisan Nasional in 1973, making it more popular among the voters.

The nation's second prime minister's concept of power sharing under the BN stood firm until the coalition was shaken to the roots by the opposition in the 2008 general election.

Lim, in his keynote speech at a function this morning, added that the results of the recent by-elections were an indication of what the people really expected from the BN.

"If the prime minister does not do what his father did, then it will be a hard time for BN in the next general election," he said.

Grab the bull by the horns

Najib, who took over as the prime minister from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last Friday, announced his new cabinet yesterday, which also included the Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon.

koh tsu koon gerakan pc 100409 01 Koh, the former Penang chief minister, was included despite him losing in the last general election. He was made a senator along with five others for this purpose.

Lim said he was surprised that Gerakan was given a ministerial post through Koh, and urged his successor to the party post to "grab the bull by the horns".

"I advise him to do the job without fear or favour," he added.

Lim also had some words of advice for those who sniped about the appointment of Mukhriz Mahathir as a deputy minister and rejected talks that Mukhriz would be a shadow for his father Dr Mahathir Mohamad in government.

"You people create the shadow. Just the son is in the cabinet. What is wrong with you?" he asked.

A side attack at Umno

The veteran politician also expressed his disappointment with Umno leaders who continued to play up race issues.

"I would not deny the hegemony of Umno over Malaysian politics and that is why the thinking of Umno members always creep its way into policy making.

"The recently concluded Umno general assembly once again shown the part of Umno that most Malaysians thought had withered away after the last general election.

"They are still shouting those racist remarks," he said.

He added that Umno delegates had chosen to ignore the writing on the wall and "see the last general election as an aberration that will correct itself".

"Let us not be fooled into thinking that Malaysians will stomach the antics and excesses of BN and Umno.

"Najib had said change or be changed. I could not argue more with this assertion," he said.

Heavy task for party leaders

Meanwhile the Gerakan central working committee was glad that Najib also retained its two other leaders in his cabinet.

The party's Wanita chief Tan Lian Hoe and party vice-president A Kohilan Pillay were reappointed as deputy ministers.

Tan is at the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry while Kohilan is in the foreign affairs ministry.

"Kohilan's post is very important to help Malaysia enhance foreign relations while Tan has to assist the government to promote the growth of the domestic trade.

"At the same time, her more important task is to control inflation, thus helping the people overcome financial difficulties," said the committee in a statement issued after a meeting last night.

The committee said that Koh's portfolio of unity and performance management as a minister in the prime minister's department would promote greater national unity and enhance performance.

The committee added that although the three Gerakan leaders' tasks were heavy, the party had confidence they would do their best to serve the country and the people.