Johor DAP has slammed the Johor Umno Youth's vice-chief for his proposal at last week's AGM for BN component parties' representatives at the BN supreme council to be elected by Umno.

Policy director Wong Shu Qi said Khairul Anwar Rahmat’s remark that Umno members should be given a direct say in deciding on the supreme council members shows the lack of recognition of their coalition partners' contribution to BN.

“Khairul Anwar’s statement proves that MCA, Gerakan, MIC, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), are mere window-dressing for Umno in BN,” Wong said in a statement yesterday.

On Thursday, the Johor Umno Youth vice-chief was reported to have said that other component party leaders should be directly elected by Umno members.

This, he said, is to ensure that only those who respected Malay and Muslim rights occupy seats on the BN supreme council.

“This is to ensure that the leaders are not ‘jaguh kampung’ (champions of their own communities).

"If the leaders of the component parties are not happy, they can leave BN and ease the coalition’s suffering,” Khairul Anwar was reported to have said.

'Why not disband BN'

Wong, who is also Senai assemblyperson, said Khairul Anwar’s statement reflects Umno’s lack of recognition to BN component parties.

She said that other parties played a significant role in helping BN gain enough seats to form the government, a point which Umno ignores.

“Even though Umno had 88 seats in Parliament, Umno would not have been able to form the federal government without the support of 14 seats from PBB, seven seats from MCA, six seats from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), four seats from MIC and others,” she pointed out.

Wong said Umno had admitted it was losing support in Johor, which is considered Umno’s bastion.

Since Umno is flexing its muscle on the weaker partners, Wong suggested BN dissolve and the component parties simply run under the Umno banner in future polls.

“Given that BN is completely dominated by Umno, I suggest that BN disbands and other component parties use the Umno ticket to compete in the upcoming general election,” she quipped.