Gerakan President Koh Tsu Koon said he has always been ready to give up the chairmanship of the Barisan Nasional (BN) in Penang to a person who is acceptable by other BN component parties.

"The candidate must acceptable by other component parties and can lead them together," he told the media after his address at the National Unity conference in Subang Jaya today.

Koh said the appointment of the state BN chairperson was the right of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is also BN chairperson.

"I am saying that if there is a need to hand over...there is no problem.

"So wait, if there are any announcements, I will give my views and also other component parties will give their views...it is process of consultation.

"When I became Penang Chief Minister and then took over as state BN chairperson in 1990, rumours said I would only last for 100 days...so from that day I was already prepared," he said.

Efforts must continue

Meanwhile, Koh said fostering national unity was a never ending process.

"The National Unity Department now actively trains mediators from different groups and religions so that they will have greater understanding and make less conflicts in terms of views and practices," he said.

Koh said the National Unity conference was a unique show of patriotism with four young politicians setting aside their differences to meet with young Malaysians at a conference aimed at finding ways to foster greater empathy and unity in Malaysia.

Organised by Yayasan 1Malaysia and Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) the conference featured prominent MPs including Khairy Jamaluddin  (BN), Teo Nie Ching (DAP), Masiung Banah (BN Sabah)  and Yusmadi Yusoff (PKR) as speakers while participants comprised young working adults, university  students, representatives from NGOs and the media.

- Bernama