KUALA LUMPUR: Will more non-Chinese candidates make their way into Gerakan’s higher hierarchy to help boost the predominately Chinese party’s multiracial image?
Judging from the number of non-Chinese candidates contesting in the Oct 25-26 party election, it is more than probable for the 2,298 candidates to elect more non-Chinese candidates.
Though the party presidency will remain in the hands of the Chinese, with no non-Chinese candidates contesting the president and deputy president’s post, there is a good possibility of the party having a multiracial vice-president line up.
There are six candidates – three Chinese and three non-Chinese – vying for three elected vice-president positions.
They are Sabah Gerakan chief Gordon Leong, Johor Chief Teo Kok Chee, former Member of Parliament for Puchong Loo Yeng Peng, former Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kohilan, central committee (CC) member Asharuddin Ahmad and branch chairman Syed Abdul Razak Alsagoff.
From the six candidates, only Kohilan is the incumbent while the rest all are new faces.
“The focus should be on the vice-presidents as you can see three Chinese and three non-Chinese candidates going for the three VP post. The ideal outcome would one Chinese, one Indian and one Malay.
“If this happens, it will make them more multiracial compared with DAP,” said political analyst Khaw Veon Szu.
It is interesting to note that from the 39 candidates vying the 18 positions in the powerful CC, at least five are non-Chinese – Baljit Singh, Syed Nor Azman Syed Daros, Husain Bahaudin, Wanita Gerakan secretary-general Jayanthi Devi and Parameswaran Ganason.
They are up against more prominent candidates including MP for Simpang Renggam Liang Teck Ming, state assemblyman for Pemanis (Johor) Lau Chin Hoon, former youth chief Lim Si Pin, party treasurer-general Ng Chiang Chin and former Sabah state minister of Youth and Sports Peter Pang En Yin.
“It will be good to see if some of them could make it to the CC. This reflects well for the party as we can be seen being more multiracial as compared with some other political party.
“Whether we like it or not, we have to live with the perception that we are a Chinese dominated party,” said Gerakan acting president Chang Ko Youn.
Testing time for Gerakan
In fact, it is not difficult for the non-Chinese candidates to make it to the party leadership position.
In the party’s history, many non-Chinese leaders have served in the leadership positions.
“Currently, apart from Kohilan, we also have our former Selangor Wanita chief Asmah Alias, who was successfully re-elected as Wanita Gerakan vice-chairperson at the national level. She was previously the Selangor Wanita Gerakan chairperson for three terms,” said Chang.
Rhina Bhar, a non-Chinese, once headed Gerakan Wanita and was a prominent member.
For the upcoming Oct 25 Wanita and Youth election, more non-Chinese candidates also have offered themselves for the various positions at the respective wing.
In the Youth section, non-Chinese candidates are also contesting for the wing’s three vice-chief posts. The contestants are Eee Chin Onn, Raja Muharimi Raja Muhammad, Yap Wen Piau and Chang Yoong Hsi.
However, as pointed out by a veteran party leader with less than five percent of the delegates represented by Indians and less than one percent Malays, proving that Gerakan reflects the 1Malaysia spirit is going to be a tough undertaking for the delegates.
It is a testing time for Gerakan to be seen as a Malaysian party, if not multiracial one.
Nonetheless, the outcome of the party election over the weekend may indicate how far Gerakan is moving towards becoming a truly multiracial party in line with the country’s new political landscape.
-Bernama
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