MCA-Gerakan merger 'pointless'
Athi VeerangganPublished: Sep 29, 2008 4:41 PM | Updated: Sep 29, 2008 5:47 PM
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has scoffed at a suggestion to merge MCA and Gerakan, saying this would be meaningless to both parties as well as the federal government.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has scoffed at a suggestion to merge MCA and Gerakan, saying this would be meaningless to both parties as well as the federal government.
MCA presidential candidate Donald Lim had held out the prospect, given the continuing erosion of support for the two parties, which are members of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN).
"The problem is not just MCA or Gerakan, but the entire BN political community, which badly needs wholesale changes in policies,” Guan Eng told journalists in Georgetown today.
“It would be pointless to merge if this is to change only its style, for it does not bring any benefit to the people. Whether or not it will change BN in substance is for the merging parties to answer.”
However, he said he could not envisage BN changing.
The Penang chief minister is baffled as to why Gerakan acting president Koh Tsu Koon has failed to heed members’ call to quit BN.
Gerakan’s own survey shows that 60 percent of members want to leave BN to either join opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat or to be an independent party.
Gerakan, which had won the Penang government in 1969 as an opposition party, joined BN in 1973.
In the general election in March this year, Gerakan lost all its state contests in Penang and secured only two parliamentary seats. After ruling for 40 years, it was forced to hand over the state government to Pakatan.
‘Leader should listen’
Guan Eng argued that it was unbecoming of any good and honest party leader not to listen to members.
“When the majority of members want to withdraw, the leader should listen. Why isn’t Koh (left) doing so?”
He also said this proves that Koh - the former Penang chief minister - has not learnt the harsh lessons of the general election.
“The voters rejected BN and Gerakan members too rejected BN. But I cannot understand why Koh insists on hugging BN’s legs,” he said, adding that Koh may be suffering an “incurable denial syndrome”.
MCA presidential candidate Donald Lim had held out the prospect, given the continuing erosion of support for the two parties, which are members of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN).
"The problem is not just MCA or Gerakan, but the entire BN political community, which badly needs wholesale changes in policies,” Guan Eng told journalists in Georgetown today.“It would be pointless to merge if this is to change only its style, for it does not bring any benefit to the people. Whether or not it will change BN in substance is for the merging parties to answer.”
However, he said he could not envisage BN changing.
The Penang chief minister is baffled as to why Gerakan acting president Koh Tsu Koon has failed to heed members’ call to quit BN.
Gerakan’s own survey shows that 60 percent of members want to leave BN to either join opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat or to be an independent party.
Gerakan, which had won the Penang government in 1969 as an opposition party, joined BN in 1973.
In the general election in March this year, Gerakan lost all its state contests in Penang and secured only two parliamentary seats. After ruling for 40 years, it was forced to hand over the state government to Pakatan.
‘Leader should listen’
Guan Eng argued that it was unbecoming of any good and honest party leader not to listen to members.
“When the majority of members want to withdraw, the leader should listen. Why isn’t Koh (left) doing so?”He also said this proves that Koh - the former Penang chief minister - has not learnt the harsh lessons of the general election.
“The voters rejected BN and Gerakan members too rejected BN. But I cannot understand why Koh insists on hugging BN’s legs,” he said, adding that Koh may be suffering an “incurable denial syndrome”.
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