Gerakan ‘hallucinating’ of comeback in Penang, says Ramasamy

 

P Ramasamy said nostalgia on Gerakan president Dominic Lau’s part to ‘return to the good old days’ might not be sufficient for the party to relive its past glory.

PETALING JAYA: Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy has scoffed at Gerakan’s aspirations to make a comeback in Penang.

Ramasamy said for a party that has “no promising future”, Gerakan seemed to be having big ideas in anticipation of the coming state elections.

“Gerakan president Dominic Lau thinks with the right mix of strategy and good luck, the party can make a difference in Penang in taking on DAP,” he said in a statement.

He added that Lau was “hallucinating” about the party’s chances in the polls, given the racially and religiously-polarised atmosphere that has been created by Gerakan’s partners in Perikatan Nasional (PN), namely PAS and Bersatu.

“The non-Malays have been completely alienated from PN, especially by PAS. So, I wonder how Gerakan could endear itself to non-Malay voters, especially in Penang,” Ramasamy said.

The Penang DAP deputy chairman also said nostalgia on Lau’s part to “return to the good old days” might not be sufficient for the party to relive its past glory.

Gerakan held Penang from 1969 to 2008 when it was part of Barisan Nasional (BN). However, the party lost the state to DAP, which was part of the then Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, in the 2008 general election (GE12).

After its poor showing in the 2018 general election (GE14) and following the fall of the BN government for the first time in the nation’s history, Gerakan quit BN in June 2018. In February 2021, the party joined PN.

Ramasamy, who is the Perai assemblyman, also questioned how the party would explain to non-Muslims that PN has their best interest at heart.

“It has been proven beyond doubt that PN has no real interest in defending the rights of non-Muslims. Banning 4D gaming outlets and restricting the sale of alcohol are attempts to prove the holier than thou attitude by PAS,” he said.

Yesterday, Lau was quoted by Utusan Malaysia as saying that Gerakan’s biggest challenge ahead of the state elections is winning over Chinese voters.

Lau said the party must send a “really positive message” to non-Malay voters to support PN as the coalition is believed to be “cleaner” and has more integrity than its competition.

Six states – Pakatan Harapan-controlled Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, as well as PAS-led Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu – will hold state elections this year. - FMT