KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional should not lose sleep over the prospect of losing Malay votes if Umno shuns Perkasa, said Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon.
This, he added, was because Pakatan Rakyat would not seize control of the federal government in the next general election.
The minister in the Prime Minister's Department was responding to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad who warned Umno that it could lose Malay votes if it alienated Perkasa.
"That is his personal view," Koh told a press conference here after addressing a national unity forum organised by NGOs.
"Pakatan will never win because of the differences between DAP and PAS. DAP will never agree to PAS' intention of setting up a theocratic Islamic state," he said.
Several Umno leaders have called on the party's top leadership to distance itself from Perkasa, which they believe was a stumbling block to BN's efforts to rope in non-Malay votes.
But Mahathir, who said that groups like Perkasa emerged because of Umno's failure to protect the Malays from extremist Chinese, considered this a suicidal strategy.
'PKR must look at itself'
Meanwhile, Koh said groups like Perkasa would lose their appeal when a society becomes more open and educated.
"The way to handle it is that we have to make a stand against extremism and also address some of the (economic) concerns on the ground," added the senator.
According to him, it was more important for BN component parties to focus on strengthening their co-operation and improve understanding.
He also took a swipe at PKR over the mudslinging as leaders jostle for positions in the party polls.
"PKR has been criticising other parties. Well, they should look at themselves," he said.
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