Kota Kinabalu: A Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) component party has opined that the proposal to turn the BN into a single party is not ready for implementation yet. United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun and Murut Organisation (Upko) Secretary-General Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau said the proposal can only be implemented after the year 2020 and not now.
Nevertheless, he said, the coalition could start the process of BN formation as a political organisation with a political laboratory, as proposed by Deputy Prime Minister and BN Deputy Chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Madius, who is also Tuaran MP, said this in response to Gerakan's call for the BN to be turned into a single party.
Muhyiddin, in a report on Saturday, was quoted as saying that the proposal to turn the BN into a single party is rational and needs to be studied in detail to ensure continuous support from the people in future.
Muhyiddin said this is more than a matter of self-evaluation and they must look at the existing BN structure to see whether the time has come for the formation of the BN as a single political party and no longer a merger of component parties.
To ensure the BN remains relevant, component parties would have to consider the proposal and respond to it immediately, taking into account the results of the recent polls.
"The collaboration that exists currently was based on the merger of 13 parties which had become components of BN, with each party having its own constitution and merely merging based on the BN name," he said.
"There are those who feel that now is the time for the merger to be formed in a more concrete manner," added Muhyiddin, who also suggested the setting up of a political lab to come up with ideas on the new BN format where everyone, including non-party members, can contribute. He said it was an important issue to consider, as he was unsure if BN could sustain this situation for the next five years.
