KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Gerakan announced today its withdrawal from Barisan Nasional (BN), leaving only three parties in the coalition that once had 13 component parties.

The predominantly Chinese party said the decision was made today after deliberation on current political developments following the 14th general election that saw BN lose federal power for the first time and most of the state governments.

"We leave BN on good terms. Gerakan will play its role as an independent party in the Opposition bloc to offer check-and-balance to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government and will be a constructive Opposition,” Gerakan said in a statement.

Gerakan, however, did not win a single parliament or state seat in the May 9 election.

Gerakan vice president Datuk Dominic Lau said after the election, his party went down to the ground to obtain feedback from grassroots members, almost all of whom wanted the party to leave BN.

"We will become the independent Opposition as we have lost everything in GE14. So we can only play the role of Opposition as a monitor to check Pakatan Harapan. We cannot balance them because we don't have any seats.

"To become a proper Opposition we will have to win the next general elections. So, after pulling out of BN, we will play our role and prepare for the next elections,” Lau told Malay Mail.

The party which once governed Penang said elections at its branch level were currently undergoing nationwide, adding that the central committee’s decision today was in line with its aim to consolidate the party and members.

"We have long considered our political idealism, performance and integrity as our proudest asset. Gerakan was the pioneer of liberalism, multiracialism and pragmatism in Malaysian politics in the early days of nationhood.

"We will strive to reprise our role once again in a maturing multi-party system,” said Gerakan.

BN is now left with three race-based parties representing the Malays, Chinese, and Indians: Umno which has 54 parliament seats, and MCA and MIC with one and two federal seats each respectively.