An estimated 2,000 people have been invited to the Barisan Alternatif inaugural convention, to be held on Sunday at the PAS headquarters in Taman Melewar in Gombak, Selangor.

Coalition leaders from PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan), will present three working papers on BA policies, which will be discussed by delegates.

Resolutions are expected to be passed as a base for the coalition to work on a blueprint of the BA manifesto, PAS vice-president and organising chairperson Dr Hassan Ali told reporters at the Parliament lobby this afternoon.

Also present were Keadilan vice-president Dr Sanusi Osman, supreme council member Khalid Jaafar and PAS central committee member Dr Hatta Ramli.

The papers will be on the 'Landscape of Malaysia New Politics' (by PAS vice-president Mustafa Ali); 'BA: Generate Economy Sustainability' (Keadilan secretary-general Abdul Rahman Othman) and 'Malaysia for All' (Keadilan deputy president Dr Syed Husin Ali).

Themed 'Together with New Malaysia', the convention also will launch a new BA slogan - 'New Malaysia'.

No duplication

States and division leaders of BA will attend the event alongside representatives of former ally DAP, foreign missions and non-governmental organisations, who will be invited to the opening ceremony.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang - who is also parliamentary opposition leader - and Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will address on Saturday at the same venue.

Responding to questions, Hassan said the convention would not duplicate ongoing measures by component parties to seek grassroots opinions on various issues.

He said the convention - which would be made an annual affair - would help enhance the working relationship among BA members.

"Many say BA has lost its cohesiveness, but this is untrue, we can prove it and you will see it during the convention," he said.

On another matter, the BA leaders at the press conference called on the police to be impartial in approving permits for public rallies during the upcoming general election campaign period.

They were responding to a media statement by Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai today as saying the police would be able to decide on the status of applications within 24 hours.

"If BN was allowed to hold its 50th anniversary involving tens of thousands of people at Stadium Merdeka (last Saturday), as well as other huge rallies previously, has the opposition been given the same chance in the past?" Hassan asked, expressing scepticism that permits would be readily available.