U-Turn for Gerakan?

This weekend will provide signals on the direction of the BN component members when Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia have their national delegates convention. Gerakan will be the first BN component party to have their party election since the political tsunami of March 8.

Basing on the long list and variety of candidates lining up to contest, the coming party election provides a platform for Gerakan members to voice their views and feelings after the 308 debacle. With more candidates offering themselves for the posts, it shows that they still want to give their last shot to serve and change Gerakan for the better. It will be the right place for Gerakan delegates to thrash out whatever dissatifactoriness against the leadership, BN government policies and specifically Umno's arrogance and don't care less about other components attitude.

It will also be a turning point for Gerakan to change or in reality to U-turn to their original objectives and direction when it was first established. Everyone, including many in Gerakan acknowlege that Gerakan need to make a decisive decision on their future role in the nation's politics. The many years in BN had makes it a "beggar of BN" where it depends on Umno to justify their existence in Malaysian politics. Whether Gerakan exists in BN or not makes not much difference. The worst of all it makes Gerakan begging to Umno to maintain it's relevancy. Gerakan becoming the "sick man of BN". The Malay proverb says,"Hidup segan, mati tak mahu".

After March 8, Gerakan lost it's one and only "senior" ministerial position previously held by former president Lim Keng Yaik. The position was given to Umno. What they got is just two deputy ministers positions. If history is to repeat itself, do not expect Gerakan to get back the position even if they are able to increase their parliamentary seats the next round. MCA held the Finance minister portfolio until the 1970's before it was taken away by Umno. Now MCA are happy just to be given the Deputy Finance Minister 1, not even Finance Minister II. MIC even held the Education portfolio once and now their traditional Works Ministry was also taken by Umno after the last election.

Gerakan need to decide. To be in or out of BN. To be able to decide in a more mature way, they need to reflect on the original intention of the formation Gerakan by their forefathers. Gerakan was never meant to be a racial based party; it was never intended to be a surbodinate of another party; it was never the party just for the educationist; it was never set-up to promote a political dynasty; it was never there to condone any corrupt practices and land grabbing.

It was to be the champion of people of all races, all religion, all stratas of society- without fear or favour. Can Gerakan still do all these? The delegates to the National Delegates Convention must decide wisely. An unwise decision will make Gerakan irrelevant and unwanted by the people and sent it to the footnote of the Malaysian political history. - Loka

Gerakan withdraws from BN

Should Gerakan, a member of the Barisan Nasional withdraws from the coalition?

This question has been playing in the mind of Gerakan members and the public since the 308 General Election. As junior partner of BN, many felt Gerakan has not been treated fairly especially by the dominant partner Umno. The general feeling is that Gerakan's is just playing a minor role in BN and after the lost of the Penang Government, there is nothing much left for Gerakan to stay on in BN. Furthermore, it will be more a liablity to them if Umno maintains its racialistic and Malay domination policies.

For more than 30 years Gerakan has been sleeping with Umno in the same BN room, not on the same bed but on the floor. Should Gerakan demands a bed of its own or just shift out from the room. If it does shift out, will it be sharing the room with Pakatan Rakyat or prefers to have a room of its own, meaning to be an independent "third force" in Malaysian politics.

The Perak Gerakan delegates already starts the ball rolling today by adopting a resolution calling for the withdrawal of the party from BN. This is not a small matter as Perak is the second largest stronghold of Gerakan after Penang. Furthermore this is the state of former president Lim Keng Yaik. The current state chairman Chang Ko Youn is also a national vice president and possibly the next deputy president of Gerakan.

The Gerakan leaders need to do the necessary to keep the party relevant to the people. If it makes the wrong move, the party will be relegated to just a footnote in the political history of Malaysia.- Loka