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Gerakan's Number One Offers To Step Down For Defeat

Sunday, 09 March 2008 17:43

(Bernama) -- Outgoing Penang chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said Sunday he was willing to step down as Gerakan leader, following the party's disastrous defeat in the just-concluded general election.

"I take full responsibility (for the defeat). It also means my own preference is to offer to step aside.

"However, (as) I am holding the post of the party's acting president, it would be awkward if I stepped aside.

"Who is going to be the acting (party) president and lead the party We will then have to hold party election," he told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng at his office in Komtar here today.

Lim is Penang chief minister-designate.

He said the party's central committee leaders needed to discuss the matter, adding that the Gerakan Central Commitee would be meeting at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow at 5pm.

Koh, who was Penang chief minister for the past 18 years, was the party's biggest casualty when he lost to a rookie, Dr P. Ramasamy , a former University Kebangsaan Malaysia's political science lecturer and socialist, for the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat.

Ramasamy won with a majority of 9,485 votes.

Koh said he would prefer to take full responsibility for Gerakan's worst defeat in the general election.

The party only won two of the 12 parliamentary seats contested nationwide, namely Gerik and Simpang Renggam.

For the rest of the country, the party won only five out of 31 state seats, namely Kuala Sepetang (Perak), Ketari (Pahang), Pemanis and Bukit Batu (Johor), and Derga in Kedah.

In Penang, Gerakan lost all the four parliamentary and 13 state seats contested.

Koh, who took over the party leadership from Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik last April, said he would hold a meeting with party members and leaders to analyse the post-mortem of its drastic loss, and also discuss the next course of action.

The youngest Penang chief minister to be appointed in October, 1990, he was the third chief minister of the state since Independence.

He resigned as dean of education, Universiti Sains Malaysia's school of educational studies to join politics in 1982, and contested the Tanjong parliamentary seat the same year, beating DAP candidate Chian Heng Kai by a majority of 834 votes.

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written by billykbk, March 09, 2008 17:52:54

To put it bluntly, what's there to lead now? The party is in shambles, and with no hope in sight for a comeback, why don't you resign now?....Gerakan is totally irrelevant now as it's considered party of the past. Parties of the present and future are DAP, PKR and PAS. So, stop all your sob stories la!!!

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written by Kang Mas, March 09, 2008 17:54:52

A real gentleman who accepted responsibility for defeat unlike his boss in Seri Perdana.

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written by sickofitall, March 09, 2008 17:58:10

Koh Tsu Koon, you could have saved Gerakan years ago, had you had the courage to accept your limitations and stepped aside for someone more capable. You made many promises without intention/ability to fulfil it and many are now suffering because of you. You should live the rest of your life waking up and gong to bed everyday knowing you killed a genuinely good political party with your poor leadership. This will be your legacy and this marks your real place in Malaysian history. Good riddance!

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written by Gerald, March 09, 2008 18:06:41

Mr Koh, before you resign, it is your duty to change your party name, Gerakan because it cannot gerak anymore. IT BELONGS TO THE 'RECYCLE BIN' and please rename the recycle bin as "IRRELEVANT BIN" which should also include MIC, PPP and UMNO.

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written by krepot, March 09, 2008 18:10:25

Koh Tsu Koon,

1. When the Chinese and Indians were persecuted, you just sat and watched!
2. When they insulted the Chinese and wanted to have the elections before the end of the CNY, you just sat and watched!
3. When we expected you to tell Sleepy Head how frustrating things are getting for the rakyat, you just sat and watched!
4. When Gerakan said that they could not find any qualified Indian to be a candidate, you just sat and watched (ironically, an 'unqualified Indian' unseated you!)
Now that you are OUT, just remain seated and watch the fun.

Penang can now move ahead!

Gerakan is irrelevant anymore!

You reap what you sow, so live with it.

To those gutless and spineless BN component members, your time is coming soon, in 5 years time. Let's see if you stand up for the Rakyat who elected you, lets see if you stand up for your BOSSES! Lets see if you have the guts to tell the keris wielding ******* to stick his keris up his ass, the next time he bring it out. Your BOSSES will decide your fate! Be very clear, who your bosses are!

PS. Wait till the US Senate takes on Motorola for what they did here in Penang and you will be implicated! You will not be making a come back.

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written by Tom Cruise, March 09, 2008 18:19:56

Hey Koh dont offer just be a man and step down, kalau jantan!

Guys, anyone seen Samy around...MIA, dah lari kat kemana?
MIC building for sale!!! Any takers? Subra??? Good riddance to bad rubbish!

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written by defendermalaysia, March 09, 2008 18:29:24

As I have already predicted earlier in my previous mail, Gerakan must kick out this 'bitter Loose gown" acting president. If not this party will no longer be revellent after the election. They must choose a stronger president in order to become revellent again. If not this party will end up like PPP. do you want to know why people in Penang reject KSK ?. Let me show you.
1) you allow yourself to be threathen by KJ and Hisamuddin and you choose to keep quiet, even though these 2 monkeys position is not up to your state level.
2) You allow the choice of Penang chief minister to be decided by UMNO. This is not the tradition of Gerakan. Gerakan chief minister post is decided by Gerakan central comitee and not Umno cos you try to bodek UMNO to become their running dog. The people in penang see no future in your hands.
3) You insult Indians in Penang saying there is no qualified indians in Gerakan to become candidate.
4) The people in Penang does not want to have any puppet or bodek from Umno.
5) Dr Lim has chosen a wrong acting president. The party must now choose a better president to become revellent again. Bye bye mosquito party.

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written by Task Force 101, March 09, 2008 18:35:31

DO THE RIGHT THING. Leave. Nothing personal. The ppl gave u the power to be their voice and stand up for them. But you did not do either. At least have the courage to do the right thing

WE HAVE VOTED BN OUT!

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written by est, March 09, 2008 18:44:07

Let us not take it out on the leaders who lost. Voters have delivered our messages and that is enough. One observation that leaders now have to understand is that the CONVENTION that if you are in the same party you have to speak with one voice has its limitation. All must wake up to the fact that if you speak up and be sacrificed by your brethens in the same coalition, you could still make it again when it comes to the ballot box (look at the guy who is being chided from Cameron Highland). But if you are afraid to stand up for issues that clearly affects your people with your brethen in the same coalition, you will sooner or later be sacrificed at the ballot box. I know its the devil and the deep blue sea. But choose which one wisely. If you want to be in politics, then you must know enough to move your way avoid the devil and deep blue sea situation. If you have to face it, then you have to choose which one is the right thing to do.

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written by est, March 09, 2008 18:56:54

The VOTERS have succeeded in cutting the majority of the government of the day to below 2/3. And this is a healthy thing to do - the first step towards building a sound foundation for RULE OF LAW so that the constitution cannot be changed at whims and fancies. If you want to change then it has to be on very sound platform where all parties can agree on. Even the opposition can agree on.

Last nite, while watching the commentaries on TV time and again I heard the commentators talk about 2/3 majority issue. And it seems that they still subscribe to the idea that if less than 2/3 many things cannot be done so easily. Yes, indeed that is what control is all about. To curb abuse of power, control must stay. And control has a price. The price is less ability to do whatever you like at whims and fancies. But the ruling government can still do a lot of things that don't need 2/3 majorities. It can still conduct its governmental business without problem. All these only need simple majority - e.g. make laws, make policy decisions as long as they don't touch the Federal Constitution.

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written by Talisman, March 09, 2008 18:57:19

Barisan announced today that it's new National symbol is the CONDOM.
This because it accurately reflects the government stance.
A Condom Allows Inflation, halts Production,Destroys the next Generation, Protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of Security while you are actually being Screwed.

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written by batsman, March 09, 2008 19:37:25

KTK - you are completely hopeless and useless. Do you still need to get Khairy's permission? Just do it!

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written by treeman1957, March 09, 2008 20:14:41

The other so-called party leaders, now confirmed as irrelevant by the voters, should follow KTK in offering their resignations as leaders of their respective parties...first on the list should be the arrogant, proud and greedy MIC president...who told voters that even if the opposition sent in an army to Sg. Siput, he would not lose...ha ha ha Samy podah!!!! Manoharan, the 'criminal'won his seat from prison and you with all your resources and bribes couldn't pull it off this time..what you going to do. When the Indians told you that you had overstayed your welcome, you wouldn't listen...when Leo Moggie, Lim Keng yaik and Ling Liong Sik said their goodbyes, you refused to follow. Now you know how Makkal Sakthi treats arrogant, proud, greedy and irrelevant idiots like you! Learn a lesson from the humble and unassuming doctor who thrashed you in Sg. Siput...that's the way a real Indian should behave. Wishing you all the best in your "premature" retirement!!! You need the rest!!!

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written by bexe, March 09, 2008 20:17:45

aiyo why just "offer" you shameless person!
Just resign like any dignified person will do.

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written by raven1958, March 09, 2008 20:34:02

KTK....your dumbest mistakeâ€¦....when Hishamuddin wanted to bath his kris with Chinese bloodâ€¦.....you should have given Badawi 48 hours to publicly apologize failing which you will pull out Gerakan from the BN.....but you didnâ€™t because you and your spitting boss were all raking in tax payer's money.....Gerakan forgot its founding principles and was mesmerized with stealing easy moneyâ€¦...so please donâ€™t ever come back.....you *******s sold out Penangites once and given a chance will definitely try to gasak again.....JUST GO!!!!

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written by temenggong, March 10, 2008 00:24:56

The party only won two of the 12 parliamentary seats contested nationwide, namely Gerik and Simpang Renggam.

For the rest of the country, the party won only five out of 31 state seats, namely Kuala Sepetang (Perak), Ketari (Pahang), Pemanis and Bukit Batu (Johor), and Derga in Kedah.

Meaning Gerakan has been completely wiped out in Penang. Gerakan has no presence in Penang. This is a worse defeat than what the MIC got! Gerakan betrayed the people in 1971, so today we walked over to the opposition. Why would you have thought this would never happen? Did you think about it in 1971? Did you think how many heart you broke and how many hopes you dashed in 1971? You betrayed PPP in 1969 in forming the Perak state govt due to Tan Chee Koon's intransigence. Did you think you could escape your karma?

So why should we let you live at all??

Not a chance that Gerakan could ever come back!! Die with the knowledge that you killed it!

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written by Chuan, March 10, 2008 00:52:28

May I suggest that all the competent and talented leaders in Gerakan apply for DAP membership first thing come Monday morning?

This way, the progress and development can be sped up and there won't be waste of human resources to manage the Pearl of the Orient, which is fast losing it's shine.

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written by fireduck, March 10, 2008 01:35:02

Gerakan can probably reinvent itself, but it must first revisit its charter. And the only way it can effectively do that re-invention and stay relevant in the voters' periscope is to get out of that BN alliance. This is a genuine observation and recommendation.

As for MCA, there is NO need to re-invent. No need to re-organise.

Simply no need.

Because MCA has outlive its usefulness. We rakyat do not need race-based political parties anymore. DAP and PKR serves us better. MCA is too chauvinistic, as is UMNO and MIC. All these should be disbanded, de-registered. Then, maybe they can re-organise as another more inclusive and accomodating party.

Otherwise, for MCA, since they always harp on their life-long learning programs, they can get out of the political arena and re-register themselves as an NGO and carry on with their life-long learning programs. That may be their real calling. Not political representation. No, not anymore.

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written by Kaneeneh, March 10, 2008 02:49:25

Just step down and take the garbage with you. Let the youngs with the raging blood stand up and be counted. You know the the garbage who all lost in the election. Don't talk about the people's wishes. The people don't want you.

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written by Beezee_Beezee, March 10, 2008 05:48:16

KSK..Your party now have less then 10seats..you may as well support the opposition....Gerakan members are mainly coming from professional people and it's already wrong for you make such as statement of no qualified one...The reasons for most of them joining Gerakan as because UMNO is always arragon that was whay your party was the last hope for the people who anti UMNO. Now that you still have those people behind you please for goodness sack..let's work han in hand with the opposition. Or Just join them...you will be made the HERO of the Penangnites.....

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written by Hope4all, March 10, 2008 07:27:58

Samy Vellu should do the same! But guess what??? This guy never knows when to quit.

I won't be surprised if he is asking Pak Lah to continue to keep him as Works Minister so sapu duit rakyat lagi!

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written by asguard, March 10, 2008 09:39:21

Serve the servant right.....for being too loyal to the master can't deliver the real promises to the chinese....

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