Gerakan leader Dr Koh Tsu Koon today side-stepped questions on whether his party would withdraw from Barisan Nasional following calls by a top party leader to protest ‘big brother' Umno's persistent use of racial politics.

Speaking to journalists in Seberang Jaya today, he said the "question does not arise at all" for Gerakan to pull out from Barisan Nasional.

gerakan agm 061007 koh tsu koon "I am here heading the BN by-election machinery in Permatang Pauh," said the BN state chairperson, without giving a direct ‘yes or no' answer.

Earlier today Gerakan national women leader and vice-president Tan Lian Hoe suggested that the party should pull out from BN due to Umno's unabated and unabashed racial politics that had hurt the sentiments of non-Malays and non-Muslims.

Speaking at the party's Perak annual delegates' conference in Ipoh today, she hammered Umno for not learning from the harsh lessons meted out by voters in the last March general election.

"Umno continues to play racial issues without being bothered about the feelings of others.

"The party leaders seem yet to comprehend that racial politics no longer have a place in our multiracial society.

"Malaysians have rejected it in the last general election," the deputy information minister told the delegates this morning.

Another leader supports Anwar

gerakan youth agm 2007 051007 tan lian hoe To this, Koh said Tan ( left ) had only expressed her personal opinion and not that of the party.

He also suggested that "she was able to accumulate more information about grassroots sentiments due to her ministerial capacity".

While Koh was able to deflect the comments made by Tan in Perak, he has to deal with the move by another party veteran, Toh Kin Woon, to openly support Anwar to win the by-election.

Toh also said that his approval for Anwar was based on his personal stand. At press time, Koh was unavailable to comment on the matter.

Based on what had happened at the Perak meeting this morning as well as with Toh's stand to support Anwar, Koh will have to make a decision on the party's continued stay in the Umno-led BN.

This morning, another party leader Chan Ko Youn concurred with Tan, urging the Perak delegates to raise the ‘pull out' agenda at the national party meeting in October for the party leaders to consider the matter.