KUALA LUMPUR, April 9- Gerakan is cautiously optimistic about is chances in the 13th General Election (GE13), its president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon(Pic) said today.
“It is an uphill and challenging task. After four years of effort in transformation and driving the economy, as well as giving touch point products such as 1Malaysia products to people, I believe there is a return of support to the Barisan Nasional (BN) in general and component parties, like Gerakan,” he said.
Koh, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said this when asked by reporters asked whether the party would fare better than the last general election.
Earlier, he had opened the World Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce Conference here. The 12th General Election was a disaster for Gerakan. The party, which had been leading the Penang state government since 1969, suffered its worst ever defeat in its election history since its inception in 1968.
Koh, who was then the party’s acting president and Penang Chief Minister, was the biggest casualty when he lost the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat to a former lecturer, Dr P. Ramasamy of the DAP. Out of the 12 parliamentary seats it contested, Gerakan won only the Gerik and Simpang Renggam seats. It contested a total of 31 state seats and won five, namely Kuala Sepetang (Perak), Ketari (Pahang), Pemanis (Johor), Bukit Batu (Johor) and Derga (Kedah).
It was wiped out in its Penang stronghold. In the 2004 General Election, Gerakan won 10 out of the 12 parliamentary seats and 30 out of the 31 state seats it contested. Koh said in the last five years, it had been a trend for urban voters worldwide to be more vocal and assertive in their requests and demands and wanting to participate more actively in the democratic process. “Urban areas pose greater challenges,” he added.
However, Koh said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had showed his commitment to bring about political transformation.
“The repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA), and of many other restrictive laws which has resulted in more civil liberties but at the same time emphasising national security shows there is a balanced approach towards making Malaysia a mature democracy,” he added. On the seats the party will be contesting in GE13, he said it had not been finalised yet.
As to whether there were any seats on loan or to be exchanged with other component parties, he said it was still under discussion.
“In every general election, we have this process (discussions) ongoing,” he added.
He also urged all sides, especially Gerakan leaders at the grassroots level not to overreact but express their views through party channels in a constructive manner on this matter (loan or exchange of seats).
BERNAMA
