KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 5 (Bernama) : Can Gerakan be a truly Malaysian Party?
Yes, say some leaders in the party, which has a multiracial composition of a quarter million members, and to prove the point, they want to make sweeping changes in the party to demonstrate to the people that they mean business.
Gerakan received a massive blow at the March 8 general election, including losing Penang, once its stronghold, to the DAP. This prompted the party to do some "soul-searching" and they seem to have realised that being a truly Malaysian party is the way to go.
"What we want the party to be is a truly Malaysian party. We don't want to be labelled a multiracial party anymore. It should be a truly Malaysian party and we should start now," said Gerakan central committee (CC) member senator Datuk Gooi Hoe Hin.
He said efforts were now underway to transform the party into "a truly Malaysian party", based on merit and fairness to all races living in this land.
With this in view, political observers have fixed their sight on the Selangor Gerakan convention on Sunday, where the state delegates will pick the Selangor Gerakan chief. While this is just a normal political process, the contestants make it abnormal.
For the first time in the party's 45-year history a non-Chinese, senator A. Kohilan Pillay, who is Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, will contest the state chief's post against incumbent Datuk Lum Weng Keong.
Kohilan is seen to personify the effort to turn the party into a truly Malaysian party, while Lum, a three-term state chairman, is perceived as keeping the party in its existing mode.
"We should be talking about issues, not race anymore. We want this to change with the emergence of a new generation or "New G". If Selangor can do it, then we predict the mood would spread all over the country.
"It would be a catalyst for change from within to face the challenges from the outside. For that matter, the Selangor Gerakan should show the way," said Gooi, the former political secretary to Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik, party advisor and former Energy, Water abd Cimmunication minister.
Kohilan, when contacted, said the contest would provide a good opportunity for members to bring about change "which is what the grassroots want after the bruising general election."
"They have waited for this opportunity. The majority of the party members feel that they are colourless. They are certainly not talking about race...anyone who comes in championing for change, they would support it," said the leader who hails from Batu Caves, Selangor.
Going by party history, only one non-Chinese leader, Datuk Rhina Bhar, had broken into the top position in the party after she was elected Gerakan Wanita chief a few years ago. But she did not last long, being knocked out at the party polls the following term.
For Selangor, only one Gerakan non-Chinese leader, Dr Pius Martin, held a state government position, when the former Bukit Lanjan state assemblyman was made a state executive councillor from 1995 to 1999.
Despite being given the post by the party, Martin never contested the state chairmanship, instead choosing to serve as state vice-chairman.
But for Lum, the Selangor Gerakan election this Sunday is not about the party wanting to be a truly Malaysian political party but is geared more towards what he claims as "an attempt to make some cosmetic changes"
He argues that Gerakan had the Malaysian approach all this while as is evident from the existing state leaderships which comprise the various communities.
"We have Asmah Alias, the Selangor Wanita chief, who is a Malay and she has been elected to the post for the last three terms.
"It is not that there are no non-Chinese holding positions in the party before, especially in Selangor. Even our Youth chief was a Sikh, Pritpal Singh, before he joined the PPP (Peoples Progressive Party)," Lum said.
Lum also pointed out that Gerakan had in the past even picked two non-Chinese as councillors in Selangor despite the records showing that the Gerakan membership in the state had 80% Chinese members.
"Our councillor for Kuala Langat, K.Muthusamy, was Indian and was picked as a councillor despite the fact that his division had 90% Chinese members. In 2002, we also put in Husin Bahaudin as Ampang Jaya councillor despite the division consisting of 70% Chinese members," said Lum.
However, for political analyst Khoo Kay Peng, Gerakan is now in dire need of a strong team of leaders who are decisive and can set a new and vibrant direction for the party.
"What they need now is a bang! bang! bang! kind of leader. They need direction as the grassroots are agitated and some have started to abandon ship. They need a leader who can make decisive decisions...that is more important than anything else at the moment for Gerakan," said Khoo, former executive director of Gerakan's think tank, Sedar.
Khoo said that before Gerakan sets out its direction, it must answer three pertinent questions -- what is Gerakan's position in the Barisan Nasional, what is the party's stand on the new economic policy and finally, what is its position on the social contract issue.
"If they do not answer all three questions, then whatever they do, it won't work," he said.
These questions are already being asked by the grassroots. Two weeks ago at the Perak and Kedah state conventions, the delegates wanted the party to re-evaluate its position in the Barisan Nasional.
Only time will tell if Gerakan members in Selangor would issue similar calls but one thing is certain -- Gerakan is at the crossroads and it is about time the leadership and members decide the fate of this "truly Malaysian" party. -- BERNAMA
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