Gerakan should talk about EDUCATION, not Chinese education
One question Gerakan must answer. Is Gerakan a Chinese party like MCA and DAP, or is it a multi-racial party like PKR (which also sometimes acts like a Malay party)? Then act and talk like what you want people to perceive you as. Currently, public perception on Gerakan is not good. It is perceived as a party trying to be just a poor copycat of DAP.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Yesterday, Gerakan’s Youth Chief, Tan Keng Liang, spoke about the implications of the ICERD on Chinese and Tamil schools — or rather he said there would be no implications (READ HERE).
While he has a right to his opinion, however controversial it may be, when the Gerakan Youth Chief makes any statement, he is not speaking in his personal capacity but on behalf of the party.
When Gerakan was launched in 1968, many Malays — like my father — saw it as the alternative to the Alliance party of UMNO, MCA and MIC
In politics, perception is everything. MCA is perceived as a party for rich towkays. DAP is perceived as a party for Chinese chauvinists, or worse, racists. And Gerakan is perceived as a DAP copycat — a party that claims to be multi-racial but actually serves only Chinese interests.
This is made worse when all three parties talk about and fight for Chinese schools and Chinese education.
READ ALSO: How Malaysia’s Education System Went To The Dogs Since 1974
My father, Raja Kamarudin Tun Uda, voted for Gerakan in the 1969 general election because he saw the party as an alternative to the Alliance
The reason or reasons may be legitimate and noble. But however noble the reason may be, it is what people perceive that matters. And what people perceive is that all three parties are trying to present themselves as champions of Chinese causes.
There is nothing wrong with that, of course. Umno is about Malay causes, as is PPBM. PAS is about Islamic causes, as is PAN or Amanah. So what’s wrong if Gerakan is about Chinese causes?
Gerakan should talk about reforming the entire education system, not talk about Chinese schools
What is wrong here is DAP has already got the monopoly on Chinese causes. Even the ‘pure-bred’ Chinese party, MCA, cannot break that monopoly. What more Gerakan, that is not supposed to be a Chinese party but a multi-racial party.
Does Gerakan think its future lies in the Chinese market? The way Gerakan is talking and running its business, this appears to be so. So that means Gerakan is going to be just like PPP, PRM, PSM, Hamim (Parti Hizbul Muslimin Malaysia), Berjasa (Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia), etc.
In short, a party headed for extinction.
Gerakan is sadly now just a poor copycat of MCA and DAP
At this stage of its life, Gerakan should no longer talk about Chinese or Tamil schools. It should talk about reforming the entire education system. You cannot champion Chinese schools as the alternative to a bad education system. In fact, you are admitting that the education system sucks, which is why you are asking Malaysians to go to Chinese schools instead.
Why not then suggest all government schools be closed down and just Chinese schools be allowed if the solution to reforming the education system is to set up Chinese schools?
One question Gerakan must answer. Is Gerakan a Chinese party like MCA and DAP, or is it a multi-racial party like PKR (which also sometimes acts like a Malay party)? Then act and talk like what you want people to perceive you as. Currently, public perception on Gerakan is not good. It is perceived as a party trying to be just a poor copycat of DAP.
