Last rites begin for Gerakan
By Thomas Lee Seng Hock, MySinchew
The last rites for Gerakan have started to be performed by no lesser person that its former president Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik, who has announced that he is quitting as the party advisor due to the lack of confidence in current party chief Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
The outspoken maverick KengYaik said on Monday 4 October 2010 that he would be resigning as the party advisor because of disappointment over the politically infirm Tsu Koon’s tendency to “bury his head in the sand.”
Formed on 24 March 1968, the party descended to its worst electoral performance during the March 2008 general election, losing control of the Penang state government which it held for nearly 40 years, and winning only two parliamentary seats compared to 10 previously. Tsu Koon was among those kicked out by the Penangites.
The party was founded on 24 March 1968 by internationally renowned sociologist Prof Syed Hussein Alatas, Methodist lay leader Tan Sri Dr David Tan Chee Khoon, popular trade unionist V. David, MCA’s second president Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, and many idealistic young academics and professions.
At its formation, Gerakan was a popular opposition party, not affiliated with the federal ruling Alliance coalition, the predecessor of the Barisan Nasional. During the 10 May 1969 general election, Gerakan won most of the seats in the state legislature of Penang, and Chong Eu was installed as the chief minister, and served for a record 21 years, until 1990, when he stepped down in favour of Tsu Koon.
Following the tragic May 13 racial riots soon after the 1969 general election, Gerakan agreed to join an expanded Alliance coalition under a new name Barisan Nasional, created and headed by Tun Abdul Razak in 1973 as a means to reduce politicking and to promote racial harmony and peaceful co-existence among the various races. Gerakan has remained a Barisan Nasional component party until now.
The Gerakan membership, since its founding, comprises about 80% Chinese, 15% Indian, and 5% Malays and other races. Its leadership is predominantly Chinese, although it claims to be a multi-ethnic party.
The party started its decline following the stepping down of Keng Yaik as president on 8 April 2007 to pave the way for Tsu Koon to take over the reins as party chief.
Contrary to the expectations of party members and many outside the party, Tsu Koon proved to be a weak leader, being seen as a mere office-boy of his Umno bosses, even in his role as the chief minister of Penang. The end-result is the almost elimination of Gerakan during the political tsunami of 2008, with the party being wiped out in Penang, with Tsu Koon and the top party leaders among the casualties.
The most shameful event in the party’s history is the dishonourable renegade of the election pledge by Tsu Koon during the campaigning of the 2008 general election that he would not join the cabinet via the backdoor with a senatorship if he were to lose in the polls. His acceptance of a minister’s post via an appointment as a senator soon after the election caused the loss of respect for him and Gerakan among the people, including party members.
By accepting the minister post via a senatorship, Tsu Koon has discredited himself, and brought shame to his party. At least MIC president S. Samy Vellu and MCA president Chua Soi Lek show more credibility than the Gerakan president and could walk with their heads high by not grabbing ministerial appointments for themselves via the backdoor.
Being given a ministerial post as a compensation for loss in an election will render one to being tied to political patronage, and becoming politically impotent and at the beck and call of the political patron.
Hence, it is not surprising that a recent Merdeka Center survey shows that only 1% of Chinese voters have any respect for Tsu Koon, meaning quite obviously that there are Gerakan members among the 99% who do not have confidence in him. Keng Yaik is definitely one of them!
Several weeks ago, Tsu Koon had boasted in Kuala Terengganu that Gerakan still has the support of the people because it has set up 170 new branches nationwide since the March 2008 general election. But he did not mention that Gerakan was almost totally wiped out, particularly in Penang, and he himself was kicked out by the people during the 2008 general election.
The Merdeka Center survey shows that Tsu Koon is deluding himself that he and Gerakan still have the support of the people. With a 1% support of the community, what relevance do Tsu Koon and Gerakan have?
