KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — Barisan Nasional (BN) has yet to receive an official application from Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) although it was reported to have expressed its intention to join the coalition, said BN chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also UMNO president, said BN was prepared to receive any party which subscribed to its principles.

"In the BN constitution, there are three categories of parties or individuals, namely core party, affiliate party or Friends of BN and third, direct membership. These three types (of membership) show BN’s openness in accepting those who are confident with the BN principles.

"The discussion of this topic at the BN Convention on June 1 showed our readiness to accept not only PBM but also other parties regardless of their size,” he told reporters after opening the Wacana Aspirasi UMNO (WAU) 2.0 forum entitled 'Challenges and Future of Young People' here today.

Ahmad Zahid said any membership application would be decided by the top leadership of BN.

Asked on PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement that those lobbying for an early 15th general election were greedy for power, Ahmad Zahid said the PAS chief might be worried that his party would not be able to win as many parliamentary seats as it did the last time if the polls were held now.

On the government’s move to abolish the mandatory death penalty, he said this proposal had been discussed by BN when it was in power.

"This proposal is the trend worldwide ... I’m confident that both the opposition and the government have common grounds to agree on this matter (abolition of mandatory death penalty),” he added. — Bernama