The BN supreme council today agreed to amend its constitution to introduce direct associate and affiliate memberships effective immediately, Prime Minister and BN chief Najib Razak said. 

NONE He said the historic decision was reflective of the BN's efforts to make the coalition inclusive and open to all those who shared in the concept, principles and policy of the ruling party's struggle.

"Those interested to join the BN can apply directly to become associate members. However, the BN Supreme Council will determine the rights and privileges of those who become associate members.

"Associate members will not have the same rights as the members of component parties but we desire to see the BN as an inclusive party which has an open-door policy," he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the BN Supreme Council at Menara Datuk Onn in Kuala Lumpur.

Unanimous decision needed

Najib said the BN Supreme Council also decided that affiliate membership could be applied for directly by any political organisation, association or non-governmental organisation.

"This is one of our efforts, an outreach for groups which wish to cooperate with the BN because they believe in the objectives of the BN struggle," he said.

Najib said any decision henceforth concerning the associate and affiliate memberships would be made only by the BN Supreme Council, as a condition to prevent anyone with any ulterior motive from joining the coalition.

"This is because we cannot specify everything, but we will consider the views of all BN component parties whereby all our decisions will be unanimous in nature," he explained.

Najib said members of BN component parties would not be allowed to join the BN as associate or affiliate members.

The prime minister said the amendment to the constitution involved the setting up of a BN Friends Club which allowed interested people to become friends of the coalition.

He said the amendment would be gazetted and the Registrar of Societies would be informed of the date of enforcement.

Najib also said that a BN Rakan Muda Club would also be set up with the target group being youths between 18 and 21 who appreciated the BN's struggle and wished to support it although they had yet to be registered as voters.

Samy Vellu’s last BN meeting

The prime minister also said that today's BN Supreme Council meeting was the last for S Samy Vellu, who will be stepping down as MIC president in January, and conveyed his thanks and appreciation for the latter's contribution to the coalition. 

mic agm 110710 s samy vellu 1 Najib said Samy Vellu was a loyal friend of the BN and said he hoped that the former works minister would continue to contribute to the BN for the common interest.

On the BN convention scheduled for Nov 28, Najib said all preparations had been made and the supreme council had decided that its main theme should encompass the concept that the BN placed the people's interest above everything else.

"Our theme must be aligned to the national theme. We place emphasis on the people because the people make up the most important group in a parliamentary democracy," he said. 

He said the BN must maintain itself as a party which was prepared to serve, struggle for and champion the people's interests at all times.

Najib said the supreme council also discussed current developments, especially the BN's victory in the Batu Sapi parliamentary and Galas state by-elections which, he added, reflected the growing support of the people for the coalition.

Nevertheless, he said, the supreme council decided that efforts would be continued to bring about a positive renewal and changes to regain the confidence of the people.

 

"The BN is a party which banks on changes based on our theme ... our national tagline 1Malaysia: People First, Performance Now.