New movement in Gerakan pushing for reforms
(Malaysian Mirror) – A movement called “Geraklah Gerakan”, believed to be linked to a former senior leader in Gerakan, has been criss-crossing the country the past one-and-a-half months pushing for reforms in the party.
The movement’s objective is to get party members to support their reform initiatives which include limiting the tenure of the party president and leaders holding government posts to two terms and other changes in the Gerakan’s central working committee and central committee.
“They have been active for the past one-and-a-half months, sending out e-mails and using social networking sites such as Facebook to push their reform agenda. These people are very brave and honest about it,” a party insider told Bernama.
Termed “gG Movement” (repeat gG movement), it’s said to be gaining momentum as it’s very much grassroot-based and run by “a group of grassroot leaders from Penang”.
Gerakan secretary-general Teng Chang Yeow confirmed the existence of the movement but said the party practised democracy which “allows for dissent on the ground to surface” as long as the unity and stability of the party was not threatened.
Sentiment on the ground
“For me, it is time for the party leadership to look at the sentiment on the ground…act on it. The way I see it, the movement is not calling for the replacement of the leadership, but merely wants the party to allow new and young leaders to emerge,” he said.
Teng said he was not sure who was heading the movement but believed it involved a group of grassroot leaders from Penang.
The brains behind the gG movement still remains a mystery, although there was talk that some senior leaders are involved.
A check with one so-called grassroot leader, Ye Wan Chun, revealed that he was actually only responsible for setting up the movement’s website and campaign on the Internet.
He explained that “gG” was the abbreviation for “Geraklah Gerakan” with the “small letter “g” like a pair of handcuffs, while the gG campaign logo colours are red and green, the colours of the political party, meaning that the movement was initiated and linked to it.
“Capital “G” refers to the political party (Parti Gerakan). Small letter “g” is the symbol of grassroot party members to move forward,” he said.
Ye said members must break the stifling factionalism culture within the party, restore political independence and establish a new party culture so that Gerakan could regain the confidence of the people.
Movement “targeting the party president”
However, some party members said the movement was actually targeting party president Dr Koh Tsu Koon as they were said to be unhappy with his leadership, which they claimed failed to bring any changes to Gerakan since he assumed the presidency in 2008.
Asked to comment on the development, Koh said he knew the person involved in the movement but regarded it as a “good and healthy dialogue” forum for the party.
“I do monitor their website and monitor their comment. I have taken into account some of their constructive criticism. It’s basically a good grassroot movement not just for the party but the people as well,” he said.
“Either at the national or state level, at the end, what is important is that party members need to realise that the party should be working for the people,” he told Bernama in an interview.
