Gerakan to decide whether to accept Azmin and Co

Gerakan will hold an emergency meeting this afternoon to discuss, among others, whether to accept membership applications from PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and his followers.

"That is one of the agenda," said Gerakan president Dominic Lau (above) when contacted.

"The main agenda is to discuss the (current political) situation. Gerakan needs to strategise. If there is a change of government, what role must we play? If it is status quo, what then?

"If there is a snap election, what should we do? All this needs to be discussed."

However, Lau could not confirm if Azmin and his followers were set on joining his party.

"Don't ask me this question, please. When it is clear-cut, I will explain to all of you (the public)," he said.

Officially, the meeting invitation to the party's central committee stated that the agenda was the "party's direction".

In July last year, Lau had confirmed that he was approached by some PKR leaders about the prospect of Azmin (photo) and his followers joining the 52-year-old party.

Gerakan was once a major component party of BN until 2008, when it was defeated in its home base of Penang. That marked the beginning of its downward spiral. It currently has zero lawmakers.

Azmin and his followers, who are claiming "persecution" by PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, are seeking to park themselves in another multiethnic party. 

It is widely believed that Azmin is the architect of an attempt to form a new governing political coalition with Dr Mahathir Mahathir at the helm.

This new coalition will also remove PKR, Amanah and DAP from the government.

At the time of writing, whether this attempt is successful or not, is unclear. - Mkini