Gerakan: PAS, DAP made comebacks, so will we

Despite the gloomy prospects of Gerakan in Penang, its president Koh Tsu Koon said the party will soldier and like PAS, will eventually make a comeback.

"Every party suffers some defeats. PAS was out of (the Kelantan) government for three terms from 1978 to 1990, but they came back.

"So we suffer our defeat. We respect the mandate of the people but we come back and we offer ourselves. It is up to everyone of us to really show that we are committed and are with the people," he told a press conference after the opening of the 41st Gerakan National Delegates Conference (NDC) in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Koh said that DAP too was only reduced to one seat in 1995, 1999 and 2004.

"So if at that time DAP was only down to one seat, we didn't tell them that they were out, we respect them. We respect the judgement of the people," he said.

He added that Gerakan had no problem in closing ranks ahead of the next general election which is due in less than a year.

'Talk of warlords exaggerated'

Responding to Gerakan Youth chief Lim Si Pin's remark that the party's youth wing was being prevented to take up positions in the party which was dominated by "warlords", Koh said it was merely a "small storm in a small teacup".

"The term 'warlord' has been exaggerated, this only happens in one or two places... but not at the central level," he said.

He further pointed out that most of the present Gerakan top leadership including himself were former youth members.

Koh said that Lim was perhaps frustrated that the Youth wing's nominated candidate to speak at the NDC was not given priority.

"It so happened that the (nominated) person is not a central delegate and according to our party constitution, central delegates must be given priority," he said.

"It is not a major problem, it shows how democratic we are as we don't go and manage and control what people say. They say it, and then we reply," he said.

Koh reiterated that the party was supportive of its youth and well as women members.

"We always take note of the fact of that young people are very vocal and more aggressive, so we take that into account.

"I'm sure if the youth members at the grassroots work very hard, they will be elected. I am sure the vast majority of veterans will continue to make way for younger people to come up," he added.