(Media Conference Statement at DAP PJ Hqrs on Thursday, 14th February 2008 at 12 noon)
The New Straits Times today reported that Koh dismissed as mischievous the DAP’s claims that he, as Acting Gerakan President, was “kow-towing” to Umno over the choice of candidate for the Penang chief minister’s post.
Koh was following Abdullah’s precedent in telling a lie to end his four terms as Penang Chief Minister when he claimed that in submitting three names to Abdullah to pick as the next Penang Gerakan Chief Minister, he was just sticking to the principle, procedure and tradition of referring such matters to the prime minister, who is the BN chairman.
After the 1990 general election, the Gerakan leadership did not surrender the right to decide who should be the Penang Chief Minister to Umno or the Barisan Nasional President.
It was the Gerakan Central Working Committee which decided which one of the two contenders, Koh Tsu Koon or Dr. Goh Cheng Teik, should be selected as the Penang Gerakan Chief Minister after the electoral defeat of Dr. Lim Chong Eu.
Both Koh Tsu Koon and Goh Cheng Teik were asked to leave the Gerakan Central Working Committee meeting to allow the CWC members to deliberate and decide on the matter, at the end of which, both were called back to the CWC to be informed that the choice of the Gerakan CWC (actually that of the then Gerakan President Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik) fell on Koh Tsu Koon.
Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who was then Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional President, was never asked to choose from the two candidates, Tsu Koon and Cheng Teik, as to who should be the Gerakan Penang Chief Minister.
Why has Tsu Koon set a new precedent in surrendering the decision as to who would be the next Penang Gerakan Chief Minister to the Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional President, which in effect would mean vesting in Abdullah’s powerful son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddun the decision who would be the next Gerakan Penang Chief Minister.
It would also mean a precedent would be set that it is Umno and not Gerakan which would henceforth decide who will be the Penang Gerakan Chief Minister – and Khairy’s favourite is clearly the Deputy Information Minister Chia Kwang Chye – before Penang Umno finally achieves its ambition to have an Umno Penang Chief Minister!
Tsu Koon may want to forget Khairy’s infamous excoriation of the Penang Gerakan State Government of having marginalized the Penang Malays, but Penangites and Malaysians are not going to be so forgetful as the Gerakan Acting President.
Did Tsu Koon act unilaterally in surrendering the prerogative of the Gerakan to decide who should be the next Penang Gerakan Chief Minister or did he get the full authorization of the Gerakan Central Committee to make such an unprecedented concession tantamount to renunciation of party independence and integrity?
Did former Gerakan President Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik give his blessing and support to the new precedent of concession set by Tsu Koon – that it is now for Umno and in particular Khairy Jamaluddin to decide who should be the next Gerakan Penang Chief Minister?
#1 by gofortruth on Thursday, 14 February 2008 - 9:22 pm
Thank you so much uncle Lim for sharing with us clearly what had actually happened to Gerakan over the years I hope young KSK will be humble enough to learn something from your free history lesson here.
It goes to show how Gerkan has “progressed” under LKY and only now that we get a concrete picture of the present state of the party leader KSK, a man who has chosen to be a dog – a running dog of UMNO.
Touch our hearts & ask ourselves this simple question – What good can come from such running dog?
#2 by Edchin on Thursday, 14 February 2008 - 10:33 pm
Here you go, Penangites, who sold you out??
You think you want Chye Chye to be CM??
Soon you can kiss bye bye to a Chinese CM.
Khairy will put his Napoleonic mullah in no time.
#3 by Daniel Quah on Thursday, 14 February 2008 - 10:52 pm
i for sure DAP-PKR-PAS will able to deny 2/3 majority in Penang state..do ur best DAP!! dont let internal conflict let u down in the last minutes…
Tham,
Please look at bigger picture what Uncle LIm trying to do in Penang..although some candicates is from outsider…but if they can fight for RAKYAT…why bother?
#4 by sheriff singh on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 12:23 am
As the Kelantan BN people led by Khairi said yesterday, “18 Years Is Enough”.
What the teacher wrote in Tsu Koon’s Report Card :
Obedience : Excellent response to given instructions
Attendence : Good. Recommended for transfer to National Class
Behaviour : Good Obedient Boy, very responsive to others
Leadership : Leave it to Pak Lah etc
Decisiveness : =ditto=
Intelligence : See Patrick Teoh’s Tokkok
Believability : =ditto=
Sports : Limbo Rock, low jump
Role Idol : Homer Simpson
Favourite Film Star : Homer Simpson
Position held : Class monitor
Future prospects : Minister material
#5 by anak_malaysia on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 12:29 am
what is this Gerakan? There is no more Gerakan, MCA and MIC. There is only UMNO in BN. The rest are the runners. Dogs.
Abdullah is only the President for UMNO and BN, not President for Gerakan nor MCA nor MIC. What is this KSK trying to do? Runner for the BN?
I guess the Sleepy Diseases have spread to Penang Gerakan. KSK is infected and walking in the sleep.
Come on, Abdullah is only a Prime Minister. He is not President of Malaysia (although he is acting like one). Cheap imitation of President Bush. Oooi…Abdullah, bangunlah, cukuplah tidur tu. Siang siang masih mimpi. Kalau nak terus mimpi, letak jawatan and bersaralah dekat rumah hang di Australia tu. Takde sesiapa yang nak kacau you. Rumah nasi kandar kat Perth pun orang tak layan, apalah nak kacau u.
#6 by anak_malaysia on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 12:37 am
Make sure Kit Siang loses, says Tajol Rosli
thestar.com.my, Thursday February 14, 2008
IPOH: Barisan Nasional must make sure that Lim Kit Siang loses in the general election, regardless of whether the Ipoh Timur MP contests in Penang or Perak.
Commenting on speculation that Lim may contest in Penang, Perak Barisan chief Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali said it would not “mean much†to the ruling coalition if Lim stood in Penang and won.
“If he goes to Penang, I hope he loses in Penang. If he goes to Penang and wins, he might as well stay in Ipoh because it does not solve our problem,†he said after chairing the state exco meeting yesterday.
“If he goes to Penang and wins, and if he comes to Perak and wins, it does not mean much to the Barisan,†added Tajol Rosli, who met the Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah at 6pm yesterday to obtain his consent to dissolve the state assembly.
“If that is the case, it is better for him to stay in Perak because what is the point of pushing him to Penang? I might as well face him here,†said Tajol Rosli.
However, he said Barisan was going into the Kinta Valley battle as the “underdog.â€
—————————————————————
Tajol Rosli wanna challenge Bro Lim in Ipoh. Another sleeping disease victim?
#7 by mendela on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 1:08 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taVW8Kv2HcQ
#8 by bennylohstocks on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 1:37 am
a non-marginalised “Cinaputra”..
http://malaysiancartoons.blogspot.com/2008/02/cm-appointment-speculations.html
#9 by dawsheng on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 1:57 am
“Did Tsu Koon act unilaterally in surrendering the prerogative of the Gerakan to decide who should be the next Penang Gerakan Chief Minister or did he get the full authorization of the Gerakan Central Committee to make such an unprecedented concession tantamount to renunciation of party independence and integrity?”
UMNO approached Koh and guarantee him a cabinet minister post even if he lost in the parliament seat he contested, in exchange UMNO gets to decide who can become the next Penang Gerakan Chief Minister, that if Gerakan still won the majority state seats in Penang. Koh then approached the 3 persons whose name he submitted to UMNO and made them a deal, Chia Kwang Chye to become the next CM, second person would be appointed as deputy minister and the third one third most important post promised by UMNO. All four of them are most influential in the Gerakan Central Committee, the rest of party members in the Gerakan was force to agree.
Gerakan not only fear DAP and PKR, they also have to fear MCA and UMNO. When you are about to be checkmate, what do you do?
#10 by dawsheng on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 2:09 am
“Did former Gerakan President Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik give his blessing and support to the new precedent of concession set by Tsu Koon – that it is now for Umno and in particular Khairy Jamaluddin to decide who should be the next Gerakan Penang Chief Minister?”
Does Keng Yaik has any choice? Of course! But what exactly do that old fart want? He wants Koh or maybe Chia and other veterans to lose in Penang and that paves the way for his son Lim Si Chi to become the next Gerakan acting President, so he can continues the Gerakan’s Lim father-and-son Dynasty in Penang.
#11 by dawsheng on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 2:14 am
Uncle Kit, may I suggest you put up one prominent blink blink DAP election fund logo button on your blog. Anyone who wants to donate can click to access and get down to business right away!
#12 by malaysiatoday.com on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 2:48 am
Koh Tsu Kong is a hopeless politician, he contributed nothing to Penang as CM for past 17 years.
He will be selected as a MP under UMNO ticket in a Malay constituency like other Chinese BN leaders. They all hiding under Abdullah’s “sarung” to pray on his “toyo”.
What do you expect from him except “kow-tow” to Khairy?
#13 by laifoong on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 7:06 am
tsu koon….he got no shame one! how to look everyday in the mirror….? not proud to look at his own face?
#14 by Bigjoe on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 7:43 am
Yup. Koh Tsu Koon have a very close working relationship with the PM. So that is why he does not hessitate to kow tow to him even in public, forgetting his personal link is not his institutional responsibility.
It reflects the BN where personal ties triumphs over their responsibility and their representation. They are in it for themselves first and foremost.
KTK is a powerful eunuch and he think its all fine and dandy and we should all kow-tow to him.
#15 by Bill Gates on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 8:06 am
Tsu Koon has been a puppet for BN all these years. Even the ciku UMNO can pooh pooh him. So where got face? Look at how he handled the Paranjothi’s case? So he is running away now … but dare not say ….. so he leave it to Pak Lah and KJ to decide … no more balls left
#16 by aiD_kamikuP on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 8:24 am
KTK is indeed a puppet made with the image of homer simpson (may be matt groening should sue umno). That is why KTK (Kowtow-To-Khairy) dare not look into the mirror.
#17 by k1980 on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 9:13 am
He’s no homer simpson— he’s just plain old ___
http://listverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/wile20e-20coyote-thumb.jpg
#18 by boh-liao on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 10:21 am
Typical of all non-Malay BN politicians, at the end of the day, they will look after their own financial and political futures. They know that they can’t do much to change the Ketuanan Melayu situation within BN.
By joining a BN political party in the first place, they know that they have to discard their principles and conscience in order to kow tow to the Malay tai kows, and they are unable to do much for non-Malay Malaysians. Since they know that they will be cursed upon and sworn at by non-Malay Malaysians, they might as well make hay while the sun shines – take advantage of whatever situation to look after themselves. Korek, korek, korek.
So, what do you expect from KTK? Or OKT? A messiah?
#19 by k1980 on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 1:19 pm
The very people who have polarised and fractured this country are asking us to vote for them to continue maintaining our ‘stability’ and ‘prosperity’! The choice is yours.
http://the-malaysian.blogspot.com/2008/02/bumiputera-policy-has-polarised.html
#20 by jfl on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 2:40 pm
Penang which majority is Chinese run by UMNO.
Not so long ago UMNO wanted rotating system for CM saying it was the best way.
Sabah also run by UMNO.
Not so long ago Sabah was run by a rotating system but UMNO bought it out and the kow tow SABAH BN gave in and now UMNO guy is CM as UMNO said it was the best way?
Actually the BEST way is what suits UMNO best.
#21 by ktteokt on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 7:24 pm
Trust Gerakan and MCA to sell out the Chinese in Malaysia! They are experts! They are professionals!
#22 by shortie kiasu on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 7:54 pm
Koh Tsu Koon was born with a lucky star, capability? Nothing much to shout about, a crony to be used by LKY? Gut? Nil. Vision? Nil.
Most if not all the times led by others. It is a pity that some bright sparks were cold storaged. That is the Gerakan perceived by the Chinese community.
#23 by shamshul anuar on Friday, 15 February 2008 - 11:31 pm
Dear Readers,
I refer to statements which chided Gerakan for leaving the decision on who to be chosen as Penang CM to the Prime Minister.
I fail to see why Gerakan needs to be ridiculed here. Koh Tsu Koon was merely telling the fact. Only the Prime Minister has the authority to choose a Chief Mister or Menteri Besar on states ruled by Barisan National.
That is the fact. Nobody else has the authority to name a head of govt in states here. Why spread lies by implying Gerakan is “kowtowing” to UMNO on this. And I know many in these blogs hate Khairi( but of course adores the Crown Prince of DAP) but please do not overstate his influence.
#24 by ktteokt on Saturday, 16 February 2008 - 12:34 am
shortie kiasu, then it makes KSK a “buffalo”. Only buffaloes are led by their noses by their masters!
#25 by ktteokt on Saturday, 16 February 2008 - 12:36 am
And you know what happens to buffaloes during Hari Raya Aidil Adha? They are butchered mercilessly, brutally and in an uncivilized manner publicly! Poor buffalo! Poor KSK!!!!!
#26 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 February 2008 - 1:48 am
Only the Prime Minister has the authority to choose a Chief Mister or Menteri Besar on states ruled by Barisan National. Shamshul
May I know which authority are you quoting from that PM has the solely prerogative to choose state MB or CM even for states ruled by BN. Have you checked the state constitutions? Why every damn thing in this country is the prerogative of the PM. If that is case, we as well dissolve everything and let him rule alone. Is PM of Malaysia the emperor?
#27 by shamshul anuar on Saturday, 16 February 2008 - 3:47 pm
Dear Limkamput,
Now there is no need to be upset upon hearing such a fact. A fact is a fact. And it is a logical procedure. Since the PM receives the mandate from the rakyat during election, he is elected as the head of govt in Malaysia. Therefore, he has the authority to name his representative on states ruled by BN.
If not him, who will? And no. He does not have prerogative on everything under the sun in Malaysia. He, as an example, does not have the authority to stop Uncle Lim from “bulldozing his views” with regard to Secretary General of DAP. Everybody knows that finally the post will go to his son. Other senior leaders “made way” to the Crown Prince.
#28 by limkamput on Saturday, 16 February 2008 - 7:04 pm
Shamshul, the son is already a SG, and rightly so and on merit and on free contest unlike the NEP and the Malay hegemony mentality. You are way behind time. I thought you were future obama when I first read your posting. But you are a nothing now, fast degenerating into a typical tribal leader.
You still have not answered me, what did the state constitutions say with regard to the appointment of MB and CM. Don’t just assume that PM, by being the head of BN, has the right to do every damn thing. We are talking about legally constituted authority, not raw power here, got it?
#29 by shamshul anuar on Wednesday, 20 February 2008 - 11:05 pm
Dear Limkamput,
Yes, The son is already SG. Everybody knows that. And It is an open secret that other senior leaders “were made” to give way to the him.
Perhaps you should look into the mirror before chiding others. There is nothing resembling merit when Kit Siang himself uses his position to put his son into the coveted post. And as for Malay hegemony, now do not get upset. Just as Chinese controls economy, Malay controls politics. I see nothing wrong about that. It is just plain numbers. Being the largest etnic group, Malay of course is the most influential when it comes to politics. It is so simple.
Well, the constitution says the leader of political party that receives the mandate ( meaning winning the election) will be invited by the Yang DiPertuan agong(national level) or sultans( state level) to form the govt. It means as Barisan wins Penang state, its leader ( meaning Chairman of BN) will be invited to appoint his representative as the Chief Minister.
So, as the saying in Malay “Sudah terang lagi bersuluh”, the authority to appoint the Menteri Besar or Chief Minister is in the hand of PM( if Barisan wins the state). And I am not assuming. This practise is a fact.
And it is not raw power. He won the election, remember.