No surprises as Gerakan takes safe route with Teng

True to the expectations of keen political observers, Penang Gerakan delegates opted for a safe bet by voting in former state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow as the new party state chief.

Teng won with 220 votes, double Baljit's who trailed with 106.

This is despite Teng failing to lead the party to recapture Penang from Pakatan Rakyat in the May 5 polls, and failure to win the Bukit Tengah state seat he contested.

The results also show that delegates are not prepared yet to accept a non-Chinese state chief, as political analysts perceive the party as being dominated by one ethnic group.

Baljit offered himself up to restore Gerakan's multi-racial image, and to bring in a new team of leaders.

However it is likely the perception that he is a proxy of outgoing state chief Teng Hock Nan contributed to his failure.

Teng suffered a leadership crisis in 2010, but managed to keep his post by a narrow win at an emergency general meeting on Oct 10 that year.

Top post highly watched

The choice of Gerakan's state chief is highly watched, as the individual by convention would assume the Penang chief minister post should BN capture the state from Pakatan Rakyat in the future.

The prime minister or BN national chairperson also normally appoints the state Gerakan chief the state BN chief.

In today's polls at the party's headquarters in Penang, 328 out of 399 delegates (or 82 percent) voted for the state chief and six state liaison committee members.

There were two spoiled votes.

The six new state liaison committee voted in are:

• Tan Kah Leong
• Ng Siew Lai
• Puvaniten M
• Dr Thor Teong
• Lee Boon Ten
• Teh Kheng Siong

The national representatives elected are:

• Chan Kim Beng
• Tan Chuan Koon
• Ooi Ah Bee
• Tan Chee Heong
• AR Velu

Five resolutions on housing, hill clearance and the environment, education, state local planning and crime were approved by the delegates without debate.