Koh hints at staying on

Despite groundswell of resentment over his leadership, Gerakan chief puts up a case on why he's still relevent to the party.

GEORGE TOWN: Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Senator Koh Tsu Koon indicated today that he would continue to helm Gerakan into the next general election.

He even expressed confidence that the party was determined more than ever to hog the political limelight after the electoral humbling it received in the last general election.

Responding to recent press reports on growing internal groundswell seeking his removal as party president, he said such dissenting voices would always exist in democracy.

“Since Gerakan is a democratic party, it would continue to have differences of opinions on many issues. It’s up to them to sort out the differences by themselves,” he said.

Former party youth vice-chief S Paranjothy recently claimed that there was resentment in the party and an EGM could be called to remove Koh as president of Gerakan.

They said Koh had simply been a “yes-man” in BN, failed to walk the talk on the 1Malaysia concept, and ignored views and issues raised by the party’s youth and women wings.

Koh was criticised for not disclosing strategies to win back Penang from Pakatan Rakyat and accused of sidelining senior party members and allowed those from other political parties to be parachuted into top-level posts.

He was also accused of failing to show leadership credentials in resolving the crisis in Gerakan state chapters of Johor, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang and Malacca.

As if to counter his critics, Koh said since the 2008 electoral debacle, Gerakan had bounced back by forming more branches and recruiting more members across the country.

He also said that Gerakan had managed to woo four independent assemblymen, three in Sabah and one in Pahang, into the party without any scheming or political baiting.

Deputy Sabah Chief Minister Peter Pang En Yin (Karamunting), Raymond Tan Shu Kiah (Tanjung Papat) and Au Kam Wah (Elopura) all have hopped on to Gerakan bandwagon.

Pang quit the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and became independent for a spell before joining the peninsula-based Gerakan in March this year.

‘Party on the right track’

Raymond and Au quit Sabah Progressive Peoples’ Party (SAPP) and became independents after the party pulled out of the BN in September 2008. The duo hopped into Gerakan in 2009. Independent state assemblyman for Tanah Rata in Pahang, Ho Yip Kap, joined Gerakan in early 2010.

Asked on what the future holds for Gerakan, which on May 25 celebrated its 43rd anniversary, Koh said the party was determined to bounce back following the electoral debacle in 2008.

Gerakan was wiped out in Penang after being the state ruling party for 39 years.

Koh, the then out-going state chief minister, lost badly in the Batu Kawan parliamentary duel with DAP’s newcomer P Ramasamy, who is now the deputy chief minister II.

Koh said although Gerakan must do more work to regain lost electoral grounds, nonetheless the party was on the right track to regain relevance in Malaysian political landscape.

“In life, there are always ups and downs . . . we are fighting back. We are determined to make a strong come back into Malaysian politics,” said Koh.

Koh, the federal minister in charge of unity and performance management was speaking at a press conference after presenting a cheque worth RM6 million to Wawasan Open University vice chancellor and chief executive officer Professor Wong Tat Meng here today.