'Just dissolve if can't win elections' - Loke takes jibe at Gerakan

 

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has reminded DAP leaders and members not to emulate parties that have lost the ability to emerge victorious in elections.

Without naming any party, it was apparent that Loke was taking a dig at Gerakan when telling the cautionary tale of “a party that was once the Penang state government”.

“Look at them today, they don’t have the ability to win elections.

“They have to depend on the courtesy (ihsan) of others when they want to be representatives in Parliament.

“That party doesn’t have dignity anymore. It’s better to dissolve the party if it has come to that,” he said in his speech at the Penang DAP annual convention today.

While he does not intend to look down on Gerakan, Loke said this should serve as a lesson to DAP.

Therefore, the transport minister urged his party members to always empower DAP at all times to remain the voters’ choice.

“As a political party, it must possess the ability to win elections. If a party does not win, it is no longer relevant.

“The power from winning the election gives us the mandate from the people and strength for us to achieve our goals for the sake of the state and the nation,” he added.

‘Don’t forget responsibility’

Although DAP is part of the Penang government today, he said the leaders and members must not deviate from its crusade.

“Don’t forget our responsibility and the mandate from the people so that voters will not alienate us one day.”

Gerakan controlled Penang for 39 years from 1969 and joined BN as a component party after 1974.

However, in the 2008 general election, the party suffered its worst electoral defeat, losing the northern state to DAP – a component party of the then Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

After losing all the seats it contested nationwide in GE14 and the historical fall of the BN government, Gerakan withdrew from the coalition.

It then joined Perikatan Nasional in 2021 and contested under the coalition’s logo in last year’s polls. However, it suffered yet another abysmal defeat.

Govt cares for all states

In other developments, Loke said that Putrajaya would never ostracise any states, including PAS-held Kelantan and Terengganu.

“The projects in Kelantan and Terengganu are still ongoing. In fact, the Kota Bharu airport is still being continued.

“In Parliament, I have given my commitment that the airport in Kota Bharu will be completed,” he stressed. - Mkini