Gerakan rejects Keng Yaik's resignation

Gerakan's Central Working Committee (CWC) has decided to reject Dr Lim Keng Yaik's resignation as the party's advisor.

Gerakan president Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the CWC leaders, who deliberated on the matter for almost three hours since 7pm here today, instead called on Lim to reconsider his decision, according to Bernama.

"This is in Gerakan's interests," he told reporters when met after the meeting.

Also present were Gerakan's women's wing head Tan Lian Hoe, Gerakan Youth head Lim Si Pin, who is also Lim's son, and Penang Gerakan chairman Dr Teng Hock Nam. Koh, however, did not want to elaborate further on the matter.

Lim, who had been with Gerakan for 36 years, had handed over the leadership of the party to Koh in April 2007.

On Monday, Lim dropped a bombshell that he was quitting as Gerakan's advisor saying he no longer had any confidence in Koh's leadership.

He claimed that Koh was not showing leadership in the issue of Penang Gerakan members seeking the ouster of Teng at an extraordinary general meeting in Penang on Sunday.

He had flayed Koh for saying that he (Koh) would be attending MCA's annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur the same day instead of the Penang EGM, which he (Dr Lim) said was more important.

Meanwhile, Lim told The Star in an interview that his "heart is bleeding” for the party.

“Either Tsu Koon changes his style or the party will change him. The members have to think about this themselves,” he was quoted by The Star as saying.

He said there was no point making any proposal to resolve problems in the party because people were not listening.

“I am only a life member now. But don’t be surprised if I am made chairman of the Life Members’ Council.

“I won’t advise the president but I can go around the country advising members what to do,” he said.

He added that the way Dr Koh handled party issues had bothered him in the last six months, The Star reported.

“Many people asked me if my resignation was a spontaneous or sudden decision. It has been brewing for the last six months.

“But it was the flippancy of Tsu Koon’s reason for not attending the Penang meeting that was the last straw,” said Lim, who had been Gerakan president for 27 years. - Malaysian Mirror