Opposition party Keadilan has reached out to Gerakan with an invitation to "play a role in Barisan Alternatif" (BA) over the move to teach Science and Mathematics in English at some levels of schooling from next year.

Keadilan vice-president Azmin Ali suggested that Gerakan, being a multi-racial party, could champion the cause of the Chinese community outside the ruling party.

He was responding to a report in The Star yesterday, which quoted People's Progressive Party president M Kayveas (photo) as calling for Gerakan's suspension from the Barisan Nasional (BN) for going against the official stand on the language swi tch.

Gerakan president Lim Keng Yaik had said on Saturday that Gerakan would not support the move, although he had also recently accused Chinese educationist groups who opposed the move as "extremists".