The BN will spring a few surprises when it holds its convention at Dewan San Choon in Wisma MCA next Sunday, said its secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

"We will give you a surprise on that day, just wait for it," he told journalists at a press conference at Wisma MCA this morning.

NONE Adnan humoured repeated questions by reporters keen on getting at least a hint of what the surprises will entail, but avoided delving into details.

" Macam macam akan berlaku (many things will happen). If I tell you what it is now, then it won't be much a surprise, would it?" he quipped.

The proposed amendments to the BN constitution have been a hot topic of late, with talk of dissent among component parties concerned over the possibility that they would be rendered redundant by the changes to the ruling coalition's constitution.

Among the contentious proposals include giving the BN president, who is effectively the prime minister, greater powers to decide on seat allocation for general elections, and the admission of BN-friendly individuals or organisations into the coalition without having to join any component party.

Yesterday however, BN deputy president and deputy premier Muhyiddin Yassin has reassured jittery component party members that while the PM had the final word on the selection of candidates, discussions will be held first with all party chiefs.

Convention a closed-door affair

At next week’s convention, Adnan said each of the 13 BN component parties will be allocated three speakers to debate the various topics raised at the one-day event.

He said the topics will cover a wide range of issues related to government policy, including 1Malaysia, the economy, development, education, government in service of the rakyat, law and order and welfare, among others.

He pointed out however that the convention will be a closed-door event as it involves "strategic discussions".

"If we leave it open, then we will be giving away our strategies to our rivals. What I can tell you is that it will be focused on the direction of ‘People First, Performance Now’," he said.

Adnan noted that the 13 component parties will also present a joint-charter to BN president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak after he finishes winding-up the debates at the end of the convention, where some 2,100 delegates are expected to attend.

"We want to be inclusive, not exclusive. The problem with BN is that we have been attacked many times by the opposition and others, but no one stood in our defence.

"They keep on saying Umno-BN, but that is not the case. In any meeting, a decision must be unanimous. There is no vote, it is all done by consensus.

"We need to approach the rakyat to explain to them... whatever is decided by BN is not decided by Umno," he said.