A once-proud logo now in ts twilight |
Gerakan leaders moved to contain the fallout from adviser Lim Keng Yaik's sudden and dramatic threat to quit the party over the lackadaisical leadership of embattled president Koh Tsu Koon.
However, the approaches they took differed.
"It is a misunderstanding," Tsu Koon told the press in Kuala Lumpur.
"Dr Lim is a great leader and we need to respect his decision to quit and acknowledge his tremendous contribution to the party," Penang Gerakan Youth chief Oh Tong Keong told reporters in George Town.
Deep in its twilight
Nonetheless, whether or not Tsu Koon succeeds in persuading Keng Yaik to retract his resignation letter submitted on Monday evening is moot to many political pundits.
Keng Yaik |
In its hey day, the party had grabbed voters' attention with its multi-racial and progressive platform. But through the decades, especially during Tsu Koon's reign as the Penang chief minister, the party has been seen as a second MCA - subservient to BN boss Umno and without direction of its own.
The internal flare-up came about over a controversial October 10 Extraordinary General Meeting called by a faction in the Penang division.
This group had collected the minimum 60 signatures needed to petition for the meeting, where they plan to table a no-confidence vote against Penang chief Teng Hock Nam.
Tsu Koon - directionless |
Tsu Koon's priorities all wrong
Keng Yaik had slammed Tsu Koon for his soft approach in the Penang EGM.
"He is someone who hates getting involved in solving conflicts for fear of offending people," Keng Yaik told reporters on Monday.
“I’m very sad as the adviser and the former party president for 27 years. Maybe my outburst will shake him up but I don’t think so. What is the point of becoming the adviser when the president doesn’t listen to you? So I’m going to resign,” he said.
He also lambasted Dr Koh for choosing not to attend the EGM and instead attending the opening of the MCA annual general meeting on the same day.
Teng - no confidence vot |
It remains to be seen if Tsu Koon can persuade his former mentor to reconsider his resignation. An emergency central working committee meeting has been summoned at 8pm tonight at Gerakan’s headquarters to discuss Keng Yaik's resignation.
I think they are going to fight again tonight! Hope it doesn't happen again!
ReplyDeleteCopy of Resignation Letter