Gerakan concedes Penang to DAP for another term
GEORGE TOWN, Sept 12 — Penang Gerakan chief Datuk Teng Hock Nan has conceded that DAP can keep the state in the next general elections but said his party has a good chance of recapturing it later. Teng predicted the ruling Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government will not be in power for a long time.
He said that the popular chief minister, Lim Guan Eng, will not helm the state after the 14th general elections due to “how Lim handles the state affairs”, adding the people need a strong opposition if they want to keep the Lim Administration.
“With his style of running the government, he will be appointed the chief minister in the next general elections, but ... not the following general elections,” Teng told The Malaysian Insider.
Elections are not due until 2013 but speculation is rife that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will call for a snap parliamentary election while the states can hold theirs another time.
Najib’s ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is grappling with sensitive race issues as a section of the majority Malays want to keep affirmative action policies under his New Economic Model (NEM) while other communities are demanding meritocracy.
The prime minister said yesterday he is committed to affirmative action but the methods need to change.
Speaking on race issues, Teng agreed that leaders from both coalitions in the state – BN and PR – play racial issues for their own benefits, “those holding high government positions” do it more.
“I am not saying Umno doesn’t do it [playing up racial issues] … more so done by people holding high government positions. They don’t pay any regards to social standing and they keep on fanning racial sentiments and running down one race.
“These people are also those who preach that we should not use racial issues for political mileage. You must practice what you preach,” Teng said.
“At one hand, you say this, on the other hand you go against what you say every day,” he added.
Teng noted that the relationship between the different races in the state has worsened compared to the time when the state was under Gerakan’s rule between 1969 and 2008.
He said Penangites will recognise the efforts of the multiracial Gerakan in the long run if the party continues to play its role in Penang as not only a constructive opposition, but also as a party that smoothens racial relationship in the state.
Acknowledging that Gerakan is perceived weak, he said the party has taken several initiatives to train new people who would be prepared to play positive roles in the state.
Teng said he was positive that if Gerakan members continued to hold on to party principles and if the younger generation worked together towards the betterment of the party, Gerakan will be able to take over the state administration from PR.
He said although he did not foresee Gerakan getting back the state in the next general election, it was possible in the 14th general election.
“The win will be towards Barisan or the party with a clean image and credibility for bringing prosperity to Penang, but unfortunately [we are] perceived as weak,” Teng said, referring to Gerakan which was seen as irrelevant after its poor run in the 12th general elections.
The party suffered its worst electoral defeat after retaining only two federal seats. The party also lost its only cabinet post following its poor performance in the election.
But Teng urged Penangites to give the party “a chance” in the next general election to play the role of a constructive opposition in the state assembly.
“In any administration … any government, absolute power corrupts. We are heading towards absolute power. If you want Guan Eng to hold on to power longer, we appeal to the people to put a few of us in the state assembly,” he said.
“We want people to trust our track record and put a few of us in the state assembly for check and balance in the state assembly so that Guan Eng’s government doesn’t rot too fast. It will rot sometime, but not too soon lah,” he added.
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