Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today called on Barisan Nasional (BN) components to set aside their differences in order to ensure an overwhelming victory in the coming general election.

"During the elections, it is imperative that we forget which component party we come from because it is the BN that is contesting and not otherwise," he said when opening Gerakan's 32nd national delegates conference at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Failure to stop bickering among component parties will pose the threat of cross-overs in the BN, he said in apparent reference to the two Gerakan state assemblypersons in Penang who switched to the MCA after winning the 1999 elections, and tipping the balance in favour of the MCA,

This was something which we should try to avoid at all costs, he added.

Warning

Mahathir also warned that the risk of a slim majority is that the smaller parties have the advantage of holding the larger partners to ransom.

Such a scenario could adversely affect the smooth administration of a government, he said.

"(But) with two-thirds majority in parliament, we can make decisions that (may be) unpleasant to people but is good for them. For instance, higher taxes are necessary but unpopular.

"We take some, we give some. We don't ask for all and we've not asked (others) to give all."

The prime minister said other coalition governments do not enjoy a good relationship as the BN components do here.

"In other countries, the case is more of the tail wagging the dog."

He said that is why "it is our duty to ensure that every BN candidate wins the election with an overwhelming majority".

"We are not a populist government but a pragmatic one with popular support," he added.

Malays not dominating

The prime minister, set to retire in October, said the Malays who formed the majority with more than 60% of the total population could form the government if they want.

"If they (the Malays) really want to, which I don't think they will, but if they really wanted to, together with the support from the Sabah and Sarawak BN components, they can form the government today."

But, he said, the Malays or Umno, has no intention to dominate Malaysia.

"We want to work together. There's no need to be distrustful of any community. What's also important is that Umno and MCA maintain a good relationship."

Quoting Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik remarks during his welcoming address, Mahathir said the party and MCA were like brothers, although the former is a splinter group from the latter.

The three-day conference, which kicked off yesterday with the women and youth wing meetings, saw about 2,000 people including delegates observers, foreign diplomats and corporate figures at the opening this morning.

Happy with achievement

On race relations, Mahathir said the Malays or Umno did not want the other races to assimilate but rather to integrate the differences to form a common national identity.

"We don't want you to assimilate. We do want you to integrate. We also don't want you to change your race, culture or religion," he told the multi-racial but Chinese-dominated Gerakan.

Feeling pleased over his achievement in racial integration, the 77-year-old premier said it was rewarding to see all races living together in harmony.

"At the end of my (23-year) career as prime minister, I'm glad that this has happened."

He said the characteristics and identity of the Malays, Chinese, Indians and the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak had been maintained.

He urged all Malaysians to come together and put Malaysia first as a nation and the BN as the government when celebrating Merdeka on Aug 31.