Ex-BN party cautions Harapan may become BN 2.0

Gerakan president Dominic Lau has warned that Pakatan Harapan may morph into another BN – the coalition his party was part of for almost five decades until its exit last year.

Lau said this in response to Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali calling for Harapan to implement the Bumiputera agenda to capture Malay support following Harapan's defeat in the Semenyih by-election.

"Such a move is basically the same as that of BN. Harapan is slowly becoming BN 2.0.

"If the Harapan government tends to adopt racial policies in order to win voter support, it is a worrying trend, and it also violates Harapan's commitment to reform before the election," he said in a statement today.

The Gerakan leader questioned whether Azmin's position was endorsed by Harapan's component parties.

"Is this a personal agenda of Azmin or the consensus of the entire Harapan?

"Harapan leaders should immediately clarify their position on whether it is fighting for all Malaysians or prioritising Bumiputera," he said.

The coalition, Lau stressed, should prioritise all Malaysians and not propagate race-based policies.

Gerakan, who once ruled Penang and now have zero lawmakers, joined the Alliance in 1972 and left BN in June 2018.