FT Gerakan chief Tan suspended

Gerakan has suspended its Federal Territory chairperson Dr Tan Kee Kwong pending a disciplinary action against him for accepting a post with the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor state government.

Party secretary general Chia Kwang Chye said that the decision was made by the party's central working committee in a meeting on Wednesday night.

"According to this Article 17, he was also asked to show cause why he should not be expelled from Gerakan. He has been given one (1) week to reply," said Chia in a statement today.

"The CWC carefully deliberated on several factors before arriving at this decision," he added.

Chia also said that as a central committee member himself, Tan should know the party's position in not condoning party leaders or members accepting appointment to hold official positions for the Pakatan Rakyat state governments.

Tan gad recently earned the wrath of Gerakan leaders by accepting an appointment of the Selangor Pakatan government to head a taskforce on land matters.

Chia said that Tan had done so without consulting or informing the party's central leadership and "even his own state colleagues".

Unacceptable reasons

He also added that the party could not accept the reasons which Tan cited for accepting the appointment.

Tan had said that he decided to take up the post due to his close personal friendship with Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and his desire to serve the people through "a position of power".

Following that Deputy Prime Minister and BN's deputy chairperson Najib Abdul Razak had called on Tan to quit Gerakan after taking up the appointment.

Chia also said that the party took note of Tan's defiant and posture in openly criticising the leadership before and after accepting the appointment.

He added that Tan's remarks to the media after taking up the post were intended to damage the party's image.

"In view of his negative attitude and approach, the CWC therefore decided to proceed with disciplinary action in accordance with Article 17 of the party's constitution.

"Therefore, his membership in Gerakan has been suspended and has been asked to show cause why he should not be expelled from Gerakan," he added.

Tan was not the only Gerakan leader to have taken up a post with a Pakatan-led state government.

Before him, his party colleague Lee Kah Choon had accepted the post of director of the Penang Development Corporation and InvestPenang from the DAP-led government in Penang.

Lee, a former Gerakan deputy secretary-general, has opted quit the party after coming under heavy criticism from BN leaders.

Playing to Umno's tune

When contacted, Tan maintained that he had not done anything wrong.

"I have not done anything against the party constitution," he told Malaysiakini.

He also added that his main intention in joining politics was to serve the people and he accepted the Selangor government appointment because he was offered to do just that.

"I never requested the party to give me a seat or a post. In fact it was Gerakan which invited me to join them in 1995 and offered me to contest for the Segambut seat," he said.

He also pointed out that previously even the BN had appointed opposition leaders to join BN committees, citing the examples of DAP leaders Lee Lam Thye and Kerk Kim Hock.

He added that the show cause letter given by the party also coincided with the remarks made by Najib.

"Are we giving in to Umno demands again? I want to ask party leaders as to who is running our party?"

He said that many party members have requested him to stay in the party to reform him and to contest for a top post in the party polls this year.

He further said that the party leadership had never had time for him whenever he wanted to consult them on party matters.

"For almost one and half years now I have been trying to talk to leaders including (acting president) Koh Tsu Koon...one and a half years no appointment. Why should I bother to talk to them now/" he asked.

He said that he had responded to the show cause letter and has not stepped down for the party post.

Tan was dropped from contesting to retain the Segambut parliamentary seat in the last general election.