Gerakan will come back strong in Penang, says Mah

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan is determined to rise from the ashes of its dismal performance in the last two general elections in Penang.

Its president Datuk Mah Siew Keong is hoping Penangites would give the party a chance at the next election.

“Penang Gerakan has worked very hard the last few years, bringing up issues that matter to the rakyat.

“We hope to have some representative in the state assembly. I think that is very important,” he told reporters after chairing the party’s central committee meeting at its headquarters here yesterday.

Gerakan, which led the ruling coalition in Penang for 39 years, lost to Pakatan Rakyat in 2008 and again in 2013. Both Gerakan and MCA did not win any seats in the state in the 12th and 13th general elections.

Mah also announced the appointments of Gerakan vice-president Datuk Dr Asharuddin Ahmad, fellow vice-president Datuk A. Kohilan Pillay and the party’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau chairman Baljit Singh as coordinators for the Bukit Bendera, Batu Kawan and Jelutong parliamentary constituencies respectively.

Mah said they had appointed coordinators for most of the 45 constituencies Gerakan contested nationwide.

He said they began preparations for the election although they did not know when it would be.

Mah disclosed that Gerakan was in the final stages of negotiating four seat swaps to ensure a Barisan victory.

On Gerakan vice-president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau’s controversial statement on Government-aided religious schools, Mah said Lau explained to the central committee that he was quoted out of context and had promptly retracted his statement and expressed regret.

Gerakan also announced that its Chinese New Year open house would be at Dewan Wawasan Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik at 10am on Jan 28.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would be gracing the event.