Gerakan may accept government positions
(The Star) – Gerakan, which has decided not to hold any Federal Government position after its dismal showing in the general election, will look into the matter again following objections from within the party.
The party’s acting president Datuk Chang Ko Youn said the matter would be discussed at their next central committee (CC) meeting set for next month.
“We will relook the issue. In our last CC meeting, we decided not to take up federal posts but some have disagreed with us,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.
He admitted that some issues were not adequately addressed during the May 11 CC meeting as emotions were high following the party’s shock defeat in the May 5 polls.
Chang said it was his personal opinion that the party should hold federal positions, adding that both MCA and Gerakan should take up federal positions as they were part of Barisan Nasional and agreed with the coalition’s policies.
Chang, who was speaking at his first press conference as acting president following Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon‘s resignation, said Barisan should merge into a single multi-racial party and change its approach, given the advent of more young voters in urbanised areas over the next five years.
“In the elections, we saw that the trend of urban voters went across racial lines, such as Chinese voters who voted for PAS candidates and vice versa.
“We can no longer rely on race-based parties. It is getting out of fashion. We must seriously look at the issue of young voters across racial lines. They are looking at transparency, governance, human rights and other issues,” he added.
Barisan, Chang added, must adapt as old methods could not be used any more.
“If we use the same methods, I am afraid that we will have worse results in the next elections, which will see an additional two million new voters,” he said, adding that Gerakan had always advocated non-racial politics.
Chang also hit out at Pakatan Rakyat and said it should admit defeat and use the parliamentary process to advocate change instead of having rallies that could provoke people.
