TELUK INTAN, May 29 — The future of Malaysian politics is in multi-racial parties such as Gerakan instead of single race entities, party president Datuk Mah Siew Keong said today.

Already on his last leg of his campaign in the Teluk Intan by-election, the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate reminded the press that he had been an early proponent of opening up the coalition as a multi-racial party.

“We are a multi-racial party, and we are still very proud of it,” Mah told reporters.

“We think it’s still the way forward for the country,” he said.

The three major component parties of BN, of which Gerakan is a member, are Umno, MCA and MIC, each catering exclusively to a single race.

When told by reporters that his opponent — DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud — also shares his ideals, Mah retorted: “She believes in Gerakan concept lah. She can join Gerakan.”

In her campaign, Dyana told voters that she represents a new generation which rejects racial politics, as proven by her, a Malay, contesting in a Chinese-majority seat.

Mah said early in his political career, his idea of a multi-racial party had been panned as illogical.

But many BN leaders are now more receptive towards the idea, he added.

The Gerakan president said he is concerned about escalating racial tensions in Malaysia, especially since 2008.

“I think politicians from both sides really must sit down and see how we can make it such that the country will not become divided. The country is bigger than any party. That is my hope.”

Mah, 53, will take on DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, 26, in a straight fight on May 31.

Mah won the Teluk Intan seat in 1999 and 2004, but lost to DAP’s M. Manogaran in 2008 with a 1,470-vote majority.