Gerakan goes multi-colour, sheds ‘Chinese’ skin
By Athi Shankar, Free Malaysia Today
GEORGE TOWN: In an effort to tone down its “Chinese” image, Penang Gerakan would open 40 new branches to reflect the party’s original multi-racial struggle and the 1Malaysia concept.
Each of the state’s 40 assembly seats would have one “multi-racial” Gerakan branch.
To achieve this, Penang Gerakan chief Dr Teng Hock Nan said a statewide membership drive would be launched to recruit more non-Chinese members.
He said the state leadership would ensure that the new branches were made up of various races.
“This is reflective of the party’s original struggle,” he said, when unveiling a reshuffled state party leadership line up to the media here this morning.
He also said the party’s move was in line with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia concept to foster greater racial unity.
Teng conceded that the party membership was overwhelmingly Chinese at present. “We have to shed this image by recruiting more Malays and Indians into these new branches,” he said.
