KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan is ready to be the first party to be dissolved to make way for the formation of a single, multi-racial Parti Barisan Nasional, should the merger of the 14 component parties take place, said acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

While winding up the debate at the Gerakan national delegates conference, Dr Koh said he, however, understood that the merger could not happen overnight.

"We are realistic. We know it will not be easy to merge all the 14 parties now.

"There will be many challenges, such as who should be party leader," he said, adding that he had also made the same proposal when he was the Youth chief, and almost everyone agreed in principle.

He said the party as well as Barisan should work closely at the grassroots level to foster closer ties and better cooperation.

He said there should be more committees set up to look into important national and local issues, so that leaders at all levels could discuss and solve issues.

"We must not be arrogant and must work together with other parties.

"Everyone has good intentions for the country," said Dr Koh.

Later at a press conference, Dr Koh said that although Gerakan was prepared for the merger, the party would not be pushing for the idea in Barisan.

"We are promoting and not pushing, and that is why I said we should work closer and form more committees to resolve issues at all levels to promote closer relationships and better understanding.

"But we will continue to support the concept," he added.

Earlier in his winding-up speech, Dr Koh also called on the party to continue using the liberal and progressive moderation approach, which had also been the approach of Barisan.

He said moderation was not an easy approach as Barisan was being attacked by opposition parties that practised extremism.

"PAS is attacking Umno as they say Umno is not Islamic enough and they have not done enough for the Malays, whereas Gerakan, MCA, MIC and PPP are being attacked by DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat on other racial issues.

"We are being attacked and pulled to the extreme side because it is easy for them to fan emotional and racial issues," he said.

He added that the moderate approach should be maintained to unite a multi-racial society and that any extreme approach would break the country.

He urged the party to not let individual issues become an obstacle to progress and everyone to work as a team to fight extremism and racism.