A warning to stubborn old-school politicians

Gerakan’s Baljit Singh says some are falsely claiming they can win in the coming election.

GEORGE TOWN: A local Gerakan leader has alleged that some of his party colleagues are making false claims that they are winnable election candidates.

Baljit Singh, who heads Penang Gerakan’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau, said these hopefuls were claiming that their confidence was based on intelligence reports. He challenged them to provide the evidence.

He did not name them, but described them as “old school” politicians holding leadership positions in Penang Gerakan.

“Until today, none of them has published these intelligence reports to justify their winning credentials,” he said. “They should stop pretending.”

Baljit said “over-the-hill” politicians in all Barisan Nasional parties should take heed of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s call on Umno elected representatives to step aside for a new breed of candidates. He said the message applied to them as well.

He advised them to emulate Gerakan President Koh Tsu Koon, who recently announced that he would not contest in the coming election.

He said no one should assume that he is a winnable candidate just because he led a party branch or division.

He warned them that young voters were “sick and tired” of old-school politics and were demanding quick changes.

“Only candidates capable of matching the people’s rapidly changing aspirations should stand as BN candidates in the next election,” he said.

“Those who know they can’t should step aside gracefully.

“Sub-standard elected representatives should read the writing on the wall and come down from the stage while the audience is still cheering. They should not wait until the audience jeers them.”

He said they should learn from former MIC president S Samy Vellu’s failure to read the signs, resulting in his humiliation in the last election.