KUALA LUMPUR, 21 Jan 2009: The Barisan Nasional (BN) needs a fresh start by welcoming and implementing new ideas for real reform and realigning its direction with the people’s aspirations, Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said today.
Koh, in supporting Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s call to BN leaders to break out of their comfort zone and reorientate their approach to be constantly in tune with the people’s aspirations, said the component parties needed a paradigm shift.
“However painful such a paradigm shift may entail, the BN has no choice but to change or perish,” he said in a statement here.
He said the people, especially the younger generation, had become more critical with greater access to more information.
“They are getting impatient with what they perceive as the BN’s reluctance and resistance to change.
“Therefore, the BN needs to be even more tolerant and open to diverse views which must be welcomed as long as such views are well-intentioned and not meant to promote hatred, extremism and terrorism.”
Koh also said that he agreed with Deputy Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah’s view in his book Politik Baru that the BN had to be more inclusive and practise participatory democracy.
“After all, the original spirit in forming the BN 35 years ago was to be inclusive, to be fair and just to all, as reflected in the BN’s symbol of a balanced dacing (weighing scale).
“Hence, while changing with the times, we must reaffirm and renew this original script,” he said. — Bernama
