KOTA KINABALU: The Barisan Nasional (BN) consensus system is the basis of the coalition’s strength and success.
It is also an important basis in ensuring the structure and feeling of togetherness in BN, United Pasokmomogun KadazanDusun Murut Organization (Upko) secretary general Datuk Donald Mojuntin said.
Mojuntin pointed out that with the consensus system, each and every BN component party, in spite of its size, has its part to play in the process of decision-making.
“If this system is changed with a majority system, it could give rise to inferiority complex especially among the smaller parties in BN and will result in the components being divided when important decisions have to be made,” he said when asked to comment on the proposal by BN secretary general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor to adopt a simple majority compared to a consensus agreement in making decisions in BN.
He said the proposal would be submitted at the BN Supreme Council meeting next year and added that the BN constitution should be amended so that all decisions can be made using a majority vote against the consensus system now.
“If a coalition party does not agree to a proposal then it will not be pursued. I, as the BN secretary general, suggest that BN review and amend the BN constitution by using a simple majority. I have informed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who is also BN chairman of this matter,” Tengku Adnan said on Sunday.
Mojuntin believed that the proposal must be scrutinized and discussed further by all the BN component parties before any decision is made.
He pointed out that even the mere suggestion had raised the feeling of dissatisfaction among the BN component parties especially those from Sabah and Sarawak.
“The question is why change something that works? Why change something that is clearly the basis of BN’s strength and success as well as something that has given meaning to the concept of BN?
“However, at the moment this proposal will need to go through the existing consensus system to be approved so this might be a case of ‘much ado about nothing’.
“We would like to think that there is no dominance within BN, only pertinent and fundamental things like collective decision and of course consensus.
“UPKO would like to believe that the BN concept reflects the 1Malaysia concept in the true meaning of the word,” he stressed.