Ex-Gerakan sec-gen backs Teng for Penang chief

As Penang Gerakan girds up for an interesting contest tomorrow,  former party secretary-general Chia Kwang Chye has openly declared his support for Teng Chang Yeow as the party's next state chief.

Breaking his silence after a long hiatus, Chia (right) said Teng should be given a chance to lead the party in Penang, adding that it would be better if there was no fight for the post.

"We have had many contests," he said, cautioning against fanning  tension and emotions among the party's grassroots over such a competition.

"It's not a time for that, what is more important is to give somebody a chance to win so that a team can be built up, comprising young, middle and old leaders. The team can be led by a young leader but the senior ones should be there to guide," Chia added.

Teng, the party's current secretary-general, is facing the state's outspoken legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh in the battle that takes place tomorrow, with 399 delegates casting their votes at the party's headquarters on Jalan Macalister.

Chia is endorsing Teng's leadership although the latter had failed to wrest back Penang from Pakatan Rakyat in the May 5 general election, which he was tasked with as state BN chief.

Teng (left) resigned from the post after losing his Bukit Tengah state seat to PKR's Ong Chin Wen.

"Give him a chance as he has taken responsibility by resigning from his post. Now it is time for us to decide. If there is a contest then we must consider carefully. If everyone can work together, that is the best," Chia said in an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini.

Other than Chia, 10 divisional leaders, including the state Youth chief Oh Tong Keong have thrown their  support behind Teng, while three others, including the state secretary, back Baljit.

Labelled an afterthought candidate

Asked if he would consider the younger Baljit as state chief to shed Gerakan's Chinese-centric image, Chia said the lawyer's candidacy for the post seemed to be an "afterthought".

He revealed that he knew of "happenings behind the scenes" before nomination day last Sunday, which made him and others perceive that Baljit is a proxy for a senior leader who does not want to give Teng an easy time in the state Gerakan elections.

Explaining this, Chia, who was former Bukit Bendera MP (1995-2008) said many were considered and offered to contest the post but all declined.

"Then Teng declared his intention. Do we let him have a free hand? From what we know, the intention is not to give him a free ride so they put up somebody to test his popularity or unpopularity, his strength," said Chia, who was special assistant to former Penang chief minister and outgoing Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon (1990-1995).

"If that is the scenario, then it becomes an afterthought that Baljit offered himself as a young leader on a multi-racial platform," he added.

"But once you have to justify yourself, it is very clear that the common perception is either you have been made use of, forced to contest or somebody put you up to it or else, you need not explain," he said.

Last Monday, Baljit took pains to refute allegations that he was anyone's proxy, under pressure to challenge Teng due to his well-known ties with outgoing state chief Dr Teng Hock Nan.

He said in fighting for the post, he planned to steer Gerakan back to its multi-racial principle and to be a strong opposition voice in the state, to represent the people's interest and pull the party out of the political doldrums since failing to gain any seats in Penang in two consecutive elections.

But his candidacy has been viewed by his comrades as being a fodder for the old guards like Hock Nan to continue to exert their power and influence over the new team.

Chia, however, quick not to let his views cast the party in a negative light, said it was still heartening to see many offering themselves for state liaison committee posts.

Fourteen members, including Hock Nan, are vying for the six state committee posts, which will also be decided tomorrow.

"To see so many people still interested in contesting makes us think there is still some hope left for the party," said the former Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry parliamentary secretary (1999-2004), cheerfully.

" If there are fewer candidates than the required number, then we know we are finished," he added.

Chia, who kept mostly silent after 2008, also previously served as deputy information minister until 2008.