Wanita chief ashamed over 'weak' party leadership

In a thinly-veiled but stinging attack on Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon, the party's Wanita chief Tan Lian Hoe said that the wing was embarrassed over the party's weak leadership.

"We are ashamed to be reproached and looked down upon for our self interest and weak leadership style," she said in her keynote address at the Gerakan Wanita National Delegates Conference (NDC) today.

Without naming Koh (below), she said the "writing is already on the wall" and the leadership should not deny it.

"If you need to step down, then step down. Don't be insistent, people will die. If the people have rejected a leader, then listen to them."

The Grik MP did not spare the BN either which it joined in 1973, accusing it of failling to learn from the last general election.

"Our defeat in the 12th General Election has not served as a lesson to the leadership of the component parties in the BN. The spirit of consensus is only lip service."

This, she said, was because coalition members were arrogant, so greedy that they grab seats from each other as well as quarrel, argue and sabotage each other.

She then called on leadership of all component parties to let the BN top guns decide on the "winnable candidates".

Tan also applauded Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's recent civil liberties reforms and called on him to walk the extra mile, including reforming the University and College University Act which limits students' and academics' participation in politics.

‘Electorate ungrateful to BN'

She then took aim at the opposition's promise of a welfare state by stating that it has always been practised by the BN government.

Tan also poured scorn on some of the electorate, using the Malay fable "Si Tenggang" a tale of a ungrateful son.

"Sadly, when they become wealthy and educated, many become Si Tenggang (ungrateful of the welfare provided by the BN)."

She then quoted a Malay proverb "letting loose a trapped dog" (only for the dog to bite the good samaritan), "the BN will not let go of its responsibility".

"The people must realise that the government's determination to transform their life requires their support."

Gerakan which ruled Penang for 39 years , turning it into its stronghold was abruptly swept out of the state in the last polls, losing all its seats there while its total parliamentary representation plunged from 10 seats to two.

In its weakened state, some BN coalition partners attempted to claim the four remaining state seats the party holds outside its former stronghold.

The most recent was when Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam suggested that Gerakan give its former seat of Bachang seat to Umno or MCA as they stood a better chance of winning