IPOH: Perak Gerakan wants the party to pull out of Barisan Nasional in view of coalition leaders adopting a political culture that garners support from only one particular communities.

About 80% of the delegates expressed that view during the Perak delegates’ conference yesterday.

Perak Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe, who is also national Wanita chief, said initial feedback from the delegates indicated that they were dissatisfied with Barisan leaders who used racial issues to garner support from members.

Later, in Butterworth, Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon quashed talks of the party pulling out of Barisan.

Dr Koh said he would discuss the matter with party leaders, noting that there seemed to be differences in opinion among its members.

“To leave Barisan or not does not arise now, as we are busy campaigning for the Permatang Pauh by-election,” he said.

“The Deputy Information Minister Datuk Tan (Lian Hoe) often received feedback from the Chinese community that there were some dissatisfaction among them.

“Perhaps, she had voiced out their feelings,” he said.

Datuk Chang Ko Youn, who was re-elected as Perak Gerakan chief, beating Liew Yiew Aw with a 175-vote majority, said that there was a need to discuss the pullout issue at the coming national delegates conference in October.