End of the road for Tsu Koon: Will not contest any seat, to stay in Cabinet only till GE-13

Citing a wish to focus on rebuilding his party, Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon assured he will retire from the Cabinet after the 13th general election, but cynicism greeted his announcement which was seen as a face-saving gesture.

Tsu Koon, who recently survived a near mutiny by fed-up Gerakan members, also promised not to contest in the 13th general election. The former Penang chief minister had led Gerakan to its worst-ever performance in the 2008 general election, losing all seats in its Penang stronghold.

Gerakan is now left with two seats in the federal Parliament, which pundits expect to be lost in GE-13 to the Pakatan Rakyat led by Opposition Leader Awar Ibrahim.

The near annihilation came as voters rejected Tsu Koon's timid politicking style and his party's decades-long subservience to Umno, the head of the ruling BN coalition.

“Coincidentally, April 8 marked the completion of my 30 years in full-time political work since 1982. Hence, I have sought the prime minister’s understanding that I shall serve in the cabinet only until the coming general election,” Tsu Koon said in a statement.

Time to call it a day, don't U-turn anymore

But despite the latest pledge to devote "full-time" attention to Gerakan until its party polls, Tsu Koon did not make it clear if he would defend his presidency. However, it is unlikely that he will be able to stave off an ouster as members are expected to vote him out anyway.

"We don't know for sure if Tsu Koon won't U-turn. What if he were to say that Najib called for his return to help out BN and he decides to contest after all. But assuming he keeps his word, by not having a seat and no Cabinet post, it makes it all the easier for his rivals to topple him as the Gerakan president." PKR vice president Chua Jui Meng told Malaysia Chronicle.

"To be fair, I think Tsu Koon is finally ready to call it a day. His plan of being an opposition force within the BN system has failed miserably, it is only right that he gives a chance to others with more oomph to turn Gerakan around, if it is still possible that is."

Un-illustrious end

Indeed, it appears to be a rather ignominious end for Tsu Koon, a Fulbright scholar at the United States and led Penang for 18 years from 1990 to 2008.

However, his inability to stand up to the domineering Umno elite caused not only his downfall but those of the other BN parties including the MCA and the MIC.

"There is nothing much to say. If Koh is disappointed, imagine how the Penangites feel after trusting him for 18 years and getting next to nothing. In politics, if you can serve the people's interest then you are relevant. If you can't for whatever reasons - it's no point blaming Umno but not yourself,"Sim Tze Tzin, PKR assemblyman for Pantai Jerejak told Malaysia Chronicle.

A cocoon for corruption

Tsu Koon's appointment in the Senate, which expired on April 8, was renewed by Prime Minister Najib Razak. However, another BN stalwart - the disgraced Umno miister Shahrizat Jalil - was less fortunate.

Although Najib conceded to calls from the opposition, the public and BN itself for the corruption-tainted Shahrizat to be dropped from the Cabinet, he supported her move to stay as the Umno women's chief. The ambivalence prodded criticism that Najib and Umno protected corrupt leaders and were insincere in their effort to reform the party and the nation.

This morning, Tsu Koon and four othe BN leaders were sworn in as Senators at a ceremony in Parliament House. The others were Jamil Khir Baharom, Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek Hussin and Selangor Umno women's wing leader Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah.

Malaysia Chronicle