Gerakan to remain UMNO' dog - Malaysiakini

Malaysiakini's report

Gerakan president Dr Koh Tsu Koon has declared that the party will remain in Barisan Nasional to help reform the coalition.
MCPX

Speaking at the sidelines of the Gerakan national delegates conference today, Koh said the party’s position was to help Abdullah implement his reform agenda.



The newly elected party chief had previously revealed that up to 60 percent of party grassroots wanted Gerakan to pull out of BN following the March 8 general election and the controversial remarks made by Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Ahmad Ismail.

gerakan agm koh tsu koon pc 03.JPGDiscontent among party grassroots peaked after one of Ahmad’s supporters tore Koh’s picture in front of journalists.

"When my picture was torn, we really felt a lot of pain. But now, grassroots sentiment is back to normal. They are not as emotional as before," he said.

Since the incident, Koh has toured the country to meet party members. According to sources, the face-to-face visits had achieved its desired results and many had accepted his call for Gerakan to remain in BN.

Koh said that the rousing reception for outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak by party delegates at the conference today was also proof that the matter has been resolved.

He added that since Abdullah had already pledged to fulfil his reform agenda, Gerakan is duty bound to remain in BN to help in the process.

Sentiments ‘understandable’

To a question, the Gerakan president said that even Abdullah and Najib had once told him that it was “understandable” that grassroots were asking for Gerakan to leave BN.

“But they said, please don’t do it,” he said.
Earlier in his policy speech, Koh did not raise the issue of Gerakan pulling out from BN though it was anticipated that he would address the grassroots concerns.

In August, 80 percent of delegates at the Perak Gerakan delegates conference expressed their wish for the party to pull out from BN because the coalition partners practise racial politics.

Following the Ahmad Ismail controversy, Penang Gerakan Youth officially severed ties with Umno. The issue has yet to be resolved.


As expected, Tsu Koon and co remain UMNO's puppies till the end.