Where would Gerakan go if it quit PN, asks Umno man

An Umno leader has laughed off a threat by a top Gerakan leader that the party could quit Perikatan Nasional (PN) if its coalition allies continue to display “religious extremism” following the controversy over the source of funds for Chinese schools.

(FMT) – Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi said Gerakan would not dare leave PN as the former Barisan Nasional (BN) party would not be able to find allies elsewhere.

Puad also claimed that Gerakan and PAS, which had expressed differing views over the issue of funding for Chinese schools, were merely putting on a show, and that the Islamic party would likely maintain the status quo if it was in power.

“PAS knows that Gerakan is making threats. It’s just a mosquito party. Gerakan would not dare leave PN, it has nowhere else to go,” the Rengit assemblyman said in a Facebook post.

Earlier this month, PAS criticised a deputy minister for accepting a mock cheque for RM3 million bearing the Tiger Beer logo at a fundraising event for a Chinese vernacular school in Sungai Pelek, Selangor.

However, leaders from DAP, MCA and Gerakan said that vernacular schools had no choice but to accept such contributions as they were only partly funded by Putrajaya.

Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong also said that Gerakan would not hesitate to leave PN if its allies in the coalition continued to display “religious extremism” and infringe on the rights of non-Muslims.

PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari meanwhile said the Islamic party might not be able to work with Gerakan at the next general election if the latter maintained its position on alcohol companies and Chinese schools.

Gerakan was a founding member of the Umno-led BN, but left the coalition shortly after the 14th general election in 2018 which saw Pakatan Harapan taking over Putrajaya.

It joined PN in 2021 and currently has one elected representative, Kulim assemblyman Wong Chia Zhen, while its president Dominic Lau is a senator.