Youth leader: Is Oh’s threat to leave PN the official stance of the party?

Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong’s threat to leave Perikatan Nasional over the school donation row has hurt ties between parties in the coalition.

(NST) – The party’s youth wing secretary-general Andy Tam Hum Wei said the remarks on Sunday upset many members, and he questioned if Oh’s statement was sanctioned by Gerakan’s central working committee (CWC).

“Is this the party’s stance or is this just his personal opinion? As far as I know, no senior party leader has ever mentioned this in any party meeting.

“Oh is not an ordinary CWC member, he is the national deputy president of our party. Therefore, his statement carries weight.

“He is also a PN supreme council member, has he ever raised this in the forum and was it approved, or does he have his agenda?” he asked in a statement today.

Tam said that although he strongly disagreed with Oh’s position, he would respect and accept it if it were indeed the party’s official stand.

He said he wanted clarification on whether Oh’s stance reflected the party’s official position.

“The statement made by Oh is serious and has affected the relationship between the component parties.

“As grassroots members, we engage with others from the component parties daily, and both Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Pas have questioned the legitimacy and direction of Gerakan,” he added.

Oh had said Gerakan would not hesitate to quit PN if its component parties did not respect the rights of non-Muslims.

He said Gerakan would not mind leaving PN to defend Chinese education, and if they were forced to submit to “unreasonable” demands by “certain parties”.

He was responding to Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari’s remarks over Gerakan’s stance on the issue of an alcoholic beverage company’s donation to a school in Sepang.

Fadhli had described Gerakan’s stance as “disappointing” and said it could affect the possibility of Pas working with Gerakan in the next general election (GE16).