PENANG, Dec 19 – Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon rejected calls from the state Umno to take over the state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairmanship.

Koh, who is also the present state BN chairman, said the post has been held by Gerakan leaders for more than 35 years.

“So why should we raise it again where it is very clear that any changes will not be agreed by Gerakan,” he told reporters before officiating the Penang Teenage Improvement Leadership Training Camp here today.

Koh was commenting on a call by the state Umno Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the state BN chairman’s seat should be held by an Umno leader as Umno held all the seats won by the BN in the state during the last general election.

However, Koh said since Gerakan has been holding the post for so many years, the party would object to any proposal for change.

“The arrangement of the chairmanship was endorsed again in the middle of this year by the BN supreme council and it should not be raised yet again,” he said.

Koh, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, also urged Umno leaders not to raise sensitive issues that may damage the image of BN and even Umno.

“It would not benefit any party by raising the issue again, instead it may only damage BN’s image in the eyes of the community in Penang and elsewhere,” he said.

Yesterday, during the state Umno meeting chaired by Ahmad Zahid who is also the Defence Minister, he was quoted as saying that the request for the chairmanship was not in the interest of any individual but for the sake of the party that won 11 seats during the last General Election.

Ahmad Zahid also hoped that Penang Umno’s desire to take over the chairmanship would be considered by the BN supreme leadership. – Bernama