After dropping a bombshell proposing that Gerakan quit the Barisan Nasional as UMNO had not learnt from the lessons of the March 8 “political tsunami” in continuing with its racist and communal politicking, Gerakan Wanita chief and deputy information minister Datuk Tan Lian Ho has done a somersault.
She was front-page Chinese newspaper headline banner news yesterday but within hours, she backtracked and clarified that the “quit BN’ call was not her suggestion but that of some Gerakan delegates.
Never mind that she had said yesterday that she was prepared to risk her post as deputy minister for speaking up, the question is why the somersault?
Backing her call yesterday, Gerakan national vice chairman and Perak Gerakan chief Datuk Chan Ko Youn said 80 per cent of the Gerakan delegates in Perak support the “quit BN’ call.
Gerakan Youth leaders have also told the press that at least half of the Gerakan Youth members support the party leaving the Barisan Nasional.
The last word yesterday came from the Deputy Umno President. As reported by Star “No truth to Gerakan pullout move, says Najib”, the Deputy Prime Minister said that Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon had confirmed that Gerakan has no plan to leave the BN coalition.
Tsu Koon is wearing the sackcloth but are there no more Dr. Toh Kin Woons in Gerakan, Wanita Gerakan and Gerakan Youth?
#1 by Loyal Malaysian on Tuesday, 19 August 2008 - 8:32 pm
If she’s a principled leader, she would have stood her ground.
But obviously she’s not.
Not many are willing to give up all the trappings of power, for the unknown.
#2 by Jong on Tuesday, 19 August 2008 - 8:56 pm
It shows, she’s not mentally strong, no leadership material. Tan Lian Hoe is a good dedicated worker, that’s about all.
#3 by aiD_kamikuP on Tuesday, 19 August 2008 - 9:07 pm
Like eunuchs, they have cut off the pair and kept them in little boxes.
Alas, one of these days when they open up the boxes there ain’t anymore of them pair. All vanished, kaputski, gone…and so too their reputation.
Alamak, tak boleh gerak..kan lagi.
#4 by lhslhv on Tuesday, 19 August 2008 - 9:13 pm
After all she is no epic Hua Mulan!
Ng Yen Yen is just another stooge!
#5 by katdog on Tuesday, 19 August 2008 - 9:40 pm
Gerakan is ready to fall. Dr. Toh probably realized his time is over. He had his chance to bring about change in Gerakan but he failed. Now its time for him to move on. Let the younger generation have their try now.
PR should not except Gerakan wholesale. PKR and DAP are already multi racial parties. Why do we need a ‘used to be’ multi racial party? If their kataks want to join, they can become members of DAP or PKR. No need for another party like Gerakan. What are their party principles? What are they fighting for? I see none except to enrich themselves.
Remember the history of MCA and Gerakan and their various squabbles over control of Penang. Instead of fighting against the corruption of UMNO they fought among themselves for scraps of power.
#6 by Anak Msia on Tuesday, 19 August 2008 - 9:46 pm
Perak Gerakan chief Datuk Chan Ko Youn said 80 per cent of the Gerakan delegates in Perak support the “quit BN’ call.
KTK, pls listen to your grassroot.
a party is make of grassroot, not the few leaders.
#7 by Dr_Albert_Schweitzer on Tuesday, 19 August 2008 - 9:50 pm
Tan Lian Ho does not have any trappings of power. She has always been under the thumb of the UMNO Putras. She has been bribed by the offer of a deputy minister post. It is her love of money more than sincere principles which has prompted her to do the somersault.
#8 by alancheah on Tuesday, 19 August 2008 - 11:23 pm
Good Luck to Malaysia.
#9 by isahbiazhar on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 5:09 am
It is time for MCA,DAP and Gerakan to dissolve and make PKR strong by joing en masse.For once we will have a multiracial party which will lead Malaysia into an era of glory.The present government mutiracial parties cannot stand the pressure of the present thinking.They will die soon.
#10 by pulau_sibu on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 6:47 am
news for uncle Lim.
SUPP is also calling for withdrawn from barisan!
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#11 by tenaciousB on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 6:59 am
any dumb ass would know the impending sense of doom in BN and UMNO, time to jump ship y’all!!!!
#12 by max2811 on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 8:41 am
As a live member of MCA(who voted PKR), my heart has left BN/UMNO 5 years back. Now, I’m waiting for party leadership to leave UMNO- the racist party. A party that has brought the country down, be it economically, sports, judiciary and well-being of the rakyat.
#13 by max2811 on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 8:42 am
oops- life member
#14 by tenaciousB on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 9:20 am
Malaysians in general be it the malays and others have been mistreated during the tenure of BN. In the name of good, the government has wrong done the malays. The deception was ‘previlleges’ which have made the race feel inferior psychologically for years.
The other races were labelled as immigrants, therefore not given previlleges they had to work harder to survive as nothing was given to them in a silver platter. This resulted in a more successful race in general.
#15 by boh-liao on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 8:17 pm
Don’t golat too early – PKR and hence PR is facing a lot of problems. If all ongoing polis or ACA investigations turn out to be correct, then there are bad hats/apples within PKR.
The Perak PR government may fall if the two PKR exco members were found to be guilty of corruption but given protection by the BN and hopped to become Umno members.
Let’s see the ending of this poker match.
#16 by shamshul anuar on Wednesday, 20 August 2008 - 11:02 pm
Dear Dr Albert,
What a name. Anyway what a nasty thing to say. No. Tan Lian Ho is not under UMNO’s thumb. She, like many other Gerakan leaders ( also MCA and MIC) benefited from benign UMNO’s rule. The sense of tolak ansur by UMNO enables her to win in predominantly Malay area, Gunung Semanggul in 2004 and Grik in 2008.
She may not win any seat if not for UMNO’s support. So, naturally feeling some ‘soft spot” to UMNO is understandable.
UMNO earns the “senior partner” status in BN. Why? Simple actually. Mathematics does not lie. It won 79 of 140 seats held by BN. Meaning approximately 60% of BN seat held by UMNO. Hence, the dominance of UMNO in BN.
As for Isahbiazar, it is unlikely that MCA, MIC, Gerakan to leave UMNO. It is suicidal for them. As an example, Datuk Subramaniam, current MIC Minister in BN won in predominantly Malay area, Tapah. Leaving BN means he will lose the seat.
I take it that you are not aware of growing sentiments among Malay community. Many regret choosing PKR.
#17 by i_love_malaysia on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 3:34 pm
Tulip Crescent,
Silver and gold I dont have, what I have is a piece of word from the Bible.
Matthew 7:7 TNIV • Read this chapter
[ Ask, Seek, Knock ] “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
You may make an appointment with the CM and present your case and see what will happen. There’s no harm in trying and you will find out how effective is the new CM at the same time (I believe he will try his best to meet the request, but we also have to be realistic in view of so many requests from all over Penang and NGOs).
God bless you in whatever you do for the Scouts.
#18 by aquaimplotec on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 7:05 pm
Let me reveal to you a Gerakan brainless pseudo do good for the people of Kg. Simee, Ipoh. They widened the road leading to the market by paving over the roadside grass. They did not bother to shift all the lamp posts to the side of the widened road. These lamp post stood 10 feet into the road and no road lines were drawn in the road center nor the road side.
Less than a week after the brainless feat, a vehicle crashed into the lamp post right in front of the Gerakan office that is situated on this very road. The brainless feat of putting lamp posts right in the path of drunken/unwary drivers has scored. Yes, one up for Gerakan stupidity.
#19 by Godfather on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 7:08 pm
Shamshul Anuar:
Your brain is behind your eyes, so look first, then think and comment. Don’t simply shoot your mouth off just because your mouth is in front of your brain. Faham tak ?
#20 by shamshul anuar on Thursday, 21 August 2008 - 10:13 pm
Dear Godfather,
Now do not get upset. Just because someone does not agree with your racial remark does not mean that he “simply shoot his mouth off”.
Many irresponsible remarks thrown to Gerakan on its long lasting alliance with UMNO. Hiding behind facade of freedom of expression, numerous attempts made to depict Gerakan as “kowtowing” to UMNO simply to raise hatred to UMNO.
UMNO is accused of “bullying” other parties. UMNO is accused of behaving like big brother. The truth is that UMNO is accorded “senior partner” status as UMNO holds the most number of seats in BN.
So, if Gerakan wants to leave BN, well it is actually suicidal(politically) for Gerakan. Considering that Gerakan is almost wiped out in last election. If not for UMNO’s support, it would not have been able to lead Penang for decades.
The truth is that UMNO also needs MCa, MIC or Gerakan. And Gerakan also needs badly the Malay support. Surely, you can think( if you can at least once) that Tan Lian Hoe won in predominantly Malay seats. Not to mention MPs for alor setar, Tapah as examples. So give some credit to UMNO.
Whatever mistakes it made, at least it still allows mind boggling unique phenomenon like vernacular schools to survive and aided by Federal Govt.
As one irate UMNO politician puts it clearly when Uncle Lim played racial card over Wawasn school “If UMNO really want to destroy vernacular school( meaning abolish separate school system), it would have done that 40 years ago .