Once opposed to 'backdoor' ideas, Gerakan now backs Muhyiddin

Gerakan will announce its support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin tomorrow, despite once being against ideas of a "backdoor government".

In its press invite today, Gerakan said its president Dominic Lau (above) will make the announcement during an online press conference tomorrow morning.

This is a marked change of position by Lau who on Nov 25, 2019 criticised suggestions that PAS form a government "through the backdoor".

At the time, speculation was rife that Umno and PAS were pondering offers to form a government with Pakatan Harapan MPs.

In his Nov 25, 2019 statement, Lau said any change of government must be through "a democratic way or election", or else there would be "irreparable harm" to Malaysia's democracy and violence.

"Malaysia successfully changed government for the first time after 60 years of independence, and it has won praises from all over the world.

"We hope that the political leaders of the ruling and opposition parties will defend the democratic principles and not attempt to create a 'backdoor' government," he said at the time.

Muhyiddin formed a new government after his party Bersatu withdrew from Harapan on Feb 23 and then joined forces with MPs from Umno, PAS, GPS and other minor parties.

This has been widely criticised as a "backdoor" government which came into power without a mandate from the electorate.

Gerakan was founded in 1968 and joined BN in 1972.

The party was once a major political force, ruling Penang between 1969 and 2008 before entering a downward spiral.

By the 2018 general election, the party failed to win a single seat in any legislative body. Following this, the party withdrew from BN.

It's last electoral outing was the Tanjung Piai by-election on Nov 16, 2019. The party only won 4.4 percent of the votes and hence did not retain its deposit. - Mkini