Gerakan vice-president Raymond Tan Shu Kiah is urging state Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties to take heed of the prime minister’s advice for party issues, including seat distribution in the next general election, be resolved amicably within the BN family.

He said Gerakan did not want or intend to get into a debate through the newspapers, particularly on whether Gerakan should be allowed to contest or not in Sabah.

“Most of the leaders have different opinions on this matter. It is a debate that I should not engage in... it’s not going to end.     

“But I am concerned about the image of Gerakan. Sabah Gerakan has already shown that it has good leaders. We are just asking for the opportunity like any other BN component party, to contest in order to defend BN in Sabah,” he told reporters after attending Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd’s Vendors' Day in Kota Kinabalu today.

Tan, who is state Industrial Development Minister, was asked to comment on statements by several state BN leaders, including Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Joseph Kurup, Umno supreme council member Lajim Ukin and Kalabakan MP Abdul Ghafur Salleh, who want Najib not to allow Gerakan to field candidates in Sabah in the coming general election.

The state leaders concerned were quoted as saying that Gerakan should focus on its effort to win seats in the peninsula, especially in Penang.

Tan said: “They don't have to be unfriendly to me or Gerakan. Why worry so much about me (or Gerakan)? I think what is important is, we must deliver a BN government.

“We should put all our efforts together and make this happen. I don’t want to judge which party is good or not, or say which party can contest in which place.

“We have the same objective...we want to take back something (seats) from the opposition,” said Tan, former deputy president of the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) which pulled out of BN in September 2008.

In PENAMPANG, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) president Bernard Dompok said the party would only discuss the issue of  Gerakan in Sabah at a BN meeting.

He said this was because in principle, parties from the peninsula were not encouraged to contest in Sabah, but there were already such parties having a foothold in the state.

“In principle, we cannot simply ask them to ‘withdraw’. That is why we need to discuss and resolve the issue,” he said after handing over rubber replanting incentives at the Cultural Centre, today.

Dompok, who is also Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, was asked to comment on Kurup’s statement yesterday which the latter said had a basis as the sentiments in Sabah favoured local BN component parties to contest in Sabah in the general election.

Abdul Ghapur had also been quoted as saying that the peninsula party (Gerakan) would not be able to win in Sabah, and would thus be a liability to BN.

- Bernama