Last night, Mustafa and I spoke at a Gerakan ‘teh tarik’ session on the outcome of the Permatang Pauh by-election and its implications.
I was surprised to see the level of interest among those who attended, including non-Gerakan members as well. Many were keen to know whether Anwar would get his 30 MPs by 16 September.
I told them I had no idea. I stressed to them the importance of institutional checks and balances. We cannot rely on a strong personality alone to bring about change. We need deeper institutional reforms – to the judiciary, police, ACA, Parliament, Election Commission and Suhakam. We also need a change in the mindset among politicians so that they really serve the rakyat and not themselves.
Towards the end of my presentation, I threw up several scenarios for Gerakan to consider.
- Remain in BN
- but it’s sinking, mired as it is in racial politics
- can it abandon racial politics and turn into a multi-racial coalition?
- just as important, can it get rid of money politics, cronyism, corruption?
- Pull out and join Pakatan Rakyat
- but do they have place for you, beyond adding another feather to the PR cap?
- merge with one of the existing PR parties
- Pull out and become an opposition party
- return to the party’s roots with a clear ideology
- become a genuine multi-ethnic party
- turn into national-level opposition party or an opposition party in Penang
- but for that to happen, it needs a leadership revamp
- and equally important, do Gerakan members have what it takes to survive in the opposition?
- and does the party think it has too much to lose in terms of being part of govt in certain states?
- The final option, which I didn’t mention last night, is just disband and allow its members to decide which parties they want to join.
That said, I do think that Penang in particular needs a multi-ethnic opposition party to serve as a check and balance. Whether Gerakan can play that role remains to be seen. But a leadership revamp is needed first.
Here’s a response from Plain Truth:
Every time it rains heavily, Georgetown floods.
Even if the petrol price at the pumps were to hit RM5.00, Penangites will still have to use their cars for want of a reliable public transport system.
18 years at the helm and KTK could not even fix such basic problems as flood mitigation and putting in place a reliable public transport network.
Instead we are hit with the disgusting land scams revelations which KTK neatly side-stepped (most of it) in his recent debate with LGE.
If the Gerakan membership do not even see fit to revamp their current leadership, it will be better for Gerakan to die a natural death – better for Penang, anyway.
After all, it is a party that has parted with the ideals of its founding fathers a long time back.
What do you think?
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It is no longer feasible to consider BN as the alternative party. Not even a complete revamp of the party and ideology will suffice to keep them alive. The rot has set in too deep. It is also obvious that UMNO and its component parties are in self-destruct mode. So leave them be to die a natural death.
Do we want Gerakan to cross-over? NO! We don’t really want anyone from the old regime. In any case, the present leadership cannot jump ship. Too many skeletons in the closet. It is NOT a case of them not realizing that the game is up! They are not stupid. Many citizens cannot understand why these “leaders” are not making the changes so obviously needed. Its not that they don’t want to. It just that they CAN’T! They have been beneficiaries of the gravy train. They will be exposed if they jump ship and they will face jail terms. (But they will face jail terms eventually anyway when Pakatan takes over – major worry and dilemma for them).
However, for now it may be necessary for DSAI to reluctantly accept some of the less corrupt morons from these component parties so that he gets the numbers. But we will eventually have to get rid of them too.
It is actually an opportune time for a BRAND NEW multiracial party to be formed – as an alternative to Pakatan. Someone of stature and caliber ought to be persuaded to do this – so that we have a credible alternative to Pakatan for the future. Zaid Ibrahim does come to mind – but he too is tainted by a long historical association… And I suspect he lacks the “goolies” to do the needful. Vested interests you see!
Come on – lets think of someone who will give brother Anwar a run for his money. I am sure DSAI will welcome the challenge from someone worthy. And then lets goad him to start the political party ASAP. Now, here is where the disenchanted members (leave the corrupt leaders out) from the BN component parties who are uncomfortable with DAP or PAS or DSAI can hop over to and give us all an intelligent, purposeful and exciting challenge for the future of our country.
As for Gerakan and the rest of BN – bid them goodbye – they are history!
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Why did the late Tan Chee Koon leave Gerakan after 1969 GE when Penang fell to the Gerakan? My guess is he didn’t want to be in the ruling Alliance govt. My take is that it is better for the Gerakan to leave BN as to sort itself out once again and the direction in which they originally intended it to be. Don’t join PR. Just be in the opposition to both BN and PR and be the check and balance that is so crutially needed in our country.
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Gerakan like so many of us chose the wide gate- the path of least resistance i.e. to play the role of the alternate chinese party in BN.
In this way they get the most carrots from BN for playing their role of check mating MCA. MCA could not be too assertive due to Gerakan’s presence in BN. In other words they became a stooge of UMNO just like MCA. Old habits die hard.
They have a national party with its organisation which will be useful for PKR if they so choose to leave. Or they could be non Pakatan opposition party or a third force with the ideology of the Gerakan founding fathers. They may even attract some MCA dissidents who don’t want to join PR.
Having said that they may probably die a slow death like PPP over 3-4 General elections due to the decrepit state of the leadership.
It is not easy to chane.
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Dear Anil;
What would you do if you are an eunuch to a Tuan UMNO fixated on sodomy?
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I agree with PLAIN TRUTH.
It’s so clear that KTK & Gerakan had failed in their duties as Plain Truth has pointed out. I was utterly disappointed and disgusted that that was the CM who had ruled for umpteen years when he debated against LGE. The defensive way he countered LGE’s pointers was like a school kid trying to justify his wrongs. Come on, the rakyat are not stupid. If that is the kind of leadership that Gerakan can produce, it is better that the party die a natural death. I take my hat off to Dr Toh for his unwavering decision to quit a party that no longer has any sense of direction.
Gerakan is now like a headless chicken caught in a dilenma that nobody from within can stand up as its champion to articulate change. It has become (like what the Chinese saying goes) like a pan of scattered sand dispersed all over. It will soon be a chapter in Malaysian political history. How sad. Its founders’ ideologies have so fast evaporated under KTK’s leadership (or is it lack of leadership?).
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Don’t make me laugh – Gerakan merge with SUPP? SUPP under George Chan is so deep in the pocket of Taib that you can’t even fumble for it. SUPP is another party that needs to be disbanded, by its supporters leaving to join either Keadilan or DAP. These two so-called leaders, George Chan and Toh, have lived for so long on a different planet they don’t even know what grassroots are!
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Yeap I totally agree that these Gerakan dummies should leave the BN and join PR. This should teach those UMNO bullies a lesson! Same goes to those MCA loonies and MIC… !
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[...] it is, the idea is being floated that Gerakan should withdraw from BN. Whether it would join Pakatan Rakyat, stand alone, or dissolve, it’s loss to BN, though a [...]
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Whatever decision Gerakan want to make is no different to me, as a Penangite, i had enough already of this … political party ruling in my state.
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