A multiracial approach for GERAKAN

If the outcome of the GERAKAN election last Saturday is anything to go by, it is that they have somewhat succeeded in making the party's leadership more multiracial.

For the first time in the party's history since its founding days, the upper echelon of the Barisan Nasional component party's leadership now comprise the much needed multiracial or "Malaysian" face.

"It is a very positive trend for the party. You can say that there is a preferred list of candidates but at the end of the day, the delegates have the final say.

"There was a political party who tried hard to field non-Chinese candidates in its top posts but failed. We managed to not only get one but all three candidates fielded in the top leadership positions," said GERAKAN veteran Datuk Ng Chiang Chin proudly.

The three vice-presidents candidates dubbed the "1Malaysia VP" were the clear favourites of party delegates. They were also the preferred candidates of new party president Datuk Mah Siew Keong and his deputy Dr Cheah Soon Hai, who is also Kedah GERAKAN chairman.

The three vice-presidents are Dr Asharuddin Ahmad, A. Kohilan and Teo Kok Chee, who is also Johor GERAKAN chairman. Another slot has been reserved for appointment and would most likely be filled by GERAKAN Sabah chairman Datuk Gordon Leong due to geopolitical reasons. Leong had earlier contested for the post but withdrew.

A MULTIRACIAL MIX

Ng said the election results showed that the partys effort to become more multiracial was not merely lip service.

"There are still those who see us as a Chinese-dominated party, but the fact that Dr Asharuddin was elected as vice-president with the highest number of votes speak volumes," he said.

He said there were initially six candidates before Leong withdrew, and three of them were not Chinese.

Besides Leong and the three vice-presidents, the other candidates vying for posts were former Member of Parliament for Puchong Loo Yeng Peng and Selangor committee member Syed Abdul Razak Alsagoff. Apart from Kohilan, who is an incumbent of the post, the rest were new faces.

"Although Syed Razak did not make it, the fact that he managed to garner about 700 votes is also another indication of greater acceptance (of non-Chinese candidates) among party members. This is healthy and we can say that we are moving in the right direction," Ng added.

NON-CHINESE LEADERS

It is also interesting to note that from the 39 candidates vying the 18 positions in the powerful Central Committee, five were non-Chinese. They were Baljit Singh, Syed Nor Azman Syed Daros, Husain Bahaudin, Wanita GERAKAN secretary-general Jayanthi Devi and Parameswaran Ganason.

Although they were up against more prominent candidates such as Simpang Renggam Member of Parliament Liang Teck Ming, Pemanis state assemblyman Lau Chin Hoon, former youth chief Datuk Lim Si Pin, Treasurer-General Datuk Ng Chiang Chin and former Sabah state minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Peter Pang En Yin, three of them made it to the Central Committee.

They were Baljit, who received one of the highest votes, Jayanthi and Parameswaran.

Few non-Chinese leaders served in leadership positions throughout GERAKANs history. Former Selangor Wanita Chief Azmar Md Ilias was one of them. She was successfully re-elected as Wanita GERAKAN vice-chairperson at the national level. Datuk Rhina Bhar who once headed the Wanita wing was another.

The Youth wing is still dominated by the Chinese but for the first time, a non-Chinese member was elected into one of the wings three vice-chief posts. Raja Muharimi Raja Muhammad, a youth leader from Kelantan was elected while Mohd Hardizam Ahmad was elected into the Youth Central Committee.

1MALAYSIA SPIRIT

Nevertheless, the fact remains that less than five per cent of the party delegates are Indians while Malays make up less than one per cent.

It is still a long way to go for GERAKAN, the 45-year old party, that is trying to portray itself as a multiracial party embodying the 1Malaysia spirit.

However, Ivanpal S. Grewal, GERAKANs think-tank Socio-Economic Development and Research Institute (SEDAR) Executive Director said the party has managed to jump across the initial hurdle.

"We have already taken the first step towards having a more multiracial party through our vice-president lineup.

Now, the party has to work on recruiting more members from various races and backgrounds while improving on its approaches by taking up more issues involving various communities.

"This includes the issues related to those in Sabah and Sarawak. The bottom line is that there is more to do than just cosmetic changes," he stressed. --- Alan Ting