Claiming that many party members had expressed disappointment, the youth wing’s secretary-general Andy Tan asked if Oh Tong Keong’s statement was officially endorsed by Gerakan’s central working committee.

“Firstly, I would like to ask him: Is this the party’s official stance, or just his personal opinion?

“To my knowledge, no senior leader in the party has signalled anything about this in any party meeting,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.

Tan also said that Oh’s statement carried weight and might reflect a higher level of trust, given his position as Gerakan deputy president.

“Oh is also a member of the PN Supreme Council. Has this issue ever been discussed and agreed upon in that forum, or does he have his own agenda?” he asked.

Last week, Oh said Gerakan would not hesitate to leave PN if its coalition allies continued to display “religious extremism” and infringe on the rights of non-Muslims.

He spoke in the wake of a controversy over fundraising for Chinese-medium schools, sparked by criticism from PAS over a deputy minister accepting a RM3 million mock cheque bearing the Tiger Beer logo at a fundraising event.

PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari meanwhile said the Islamic party might not be able to work with Gerakan at the next general election if the latter maintained its position on alcohol companies and Chinese schools.

In his Facebook post, Tan said he strongly disagreed with Oh’s position but would respect and accept it if it was the party’s official stance.

“I hope to get a clear answer on whether this is the party’s decision or not. Oh’s statement is very serious and has affected the relationship between the component parties,” he said.

“As grassroots members, we engage with others from the component parties daily, and both Bersatu and PAS have questioned the legitimacy and direction of Gerakan.”

‘PN can’t afford to lose Gerakan’

Meanwhile, Malaysiakini reported Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal as saying that “PN cannot afford to lose Gerakan” as the alliance represents a multiracial society.

He said Bersatu would find a way to ease the tensions between PAS and Gerakan.

“I think PAS will agree with me on this aspect but it’s common for ‘brothers’ to argue sometimes,” he was quoted as saying.

“I will help my leaders to bridge the gap between PAS and Gerakan.”