It’s Christmas and I have to ask you this. If you’re a BN leader what would your Christmas wish be? What would you want Santa bring you? As tis’ the season to be merry let’s just imagine Santa Claus is for real.
I don’t think I’m wrong if I say that wish would be all problems besieging the BN components disappear and the BN emerging strong to face the 13 general elections. And we all know what the problems are that’s gripping components of the BN. Including non-components who are friendly to the BN. For example, the Makkal Sakti Party recently launched by the BN chairman himself.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote I wrote in this column of speculation that Datuk Seri Najib Razak would “love” to call for snap GE but the main “obstacle” is the current crisis in the MCA.
Now it’s obvious the MCA is not to be solely blamed. Whilst the crisis continues to be a pain in the neck for the BN, albeit a very painful pain, Gerakan now has joined in to make life miserable for the coalition. Unintentionally,of course.
We all know that the Huan Cheng Guan issue has blown over with the Gerakan vice-president quitting the party recently to join the newly formed Parti Cinta Malaysia or PCM. According to reports the Gerakan Machang Bubok division in Penang has been dissolved with all members resigning en bloc and joined the PCM.
Huan if we recall, was earlier suspended by Gerakan on 29 June after he threatened to quit the party saying he was disillusioned with the leadership for refusing to learn from losing opening to Pakatan Rakyat in the March 2008 GE. Now he has really quit and it’s not doing Gerakan any good. The party, to put it bluntly, was wiped out at the ’08 polls and this episode has aggravated the situation for Gerakan. This despite a bold front put up by Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, their number one man.
Gerakan despite it’s effort to portray a multi racial image is seen as predominantly Chinese. With the MCA in disarray, many, within the party and the BN coalition had quietly hoped for Gerakan to somehow step into the shoes of the MCA to champion the Chinese cause. Temporarily, or otherwise. At least until the MCA get its act right again. Or until the next GE. For the sake of a BN victory. So said a BN insider.
But looks like that all is wishful thinking now. Already weak after last year’s GE, the current mess is making Gerakan weaker.At least thats the perception. And to be honest that perception is not off the mark.
And as if that’s not enough, the Penang Umno wants the state BN chairmanship now held by Gerakan. And it seems the Penang Umno proposal is getting support from al least one leader at the national level. One yes but one that is powerful. None other that Datuk Zahid Hamidi, Umno Vice President. According to Zahid, the Penang Umno proposal is reasonable as Umno holds all the state seats won by the BN in the last GE.
Koh Tsu Koon’s reaction was that Gerakan will object to any proposal to change the status quo. He said his party had held the state BN chairmanship for the last 35 years and the arrangement was endorsed again during the BN supreme council meeting in May. Say what you want but it just don’t look good for Gerakan, already seen to have kow-towed to UMNO many times before ,which resulted in the March 2008 disaster. Datuk Dr.Toh Kin Woon calls it “eunuch politics” or the politics of patronage. (Dr.Toh is regarded as an expert in Gerakan politics. He is currently executive chairman of the Socioeconomic and Environmental Research Institute).
Najib had to come up with a statement to diffuse the situation saying Zahid was merely expressing his personal views. Was the PM’s statement enough? Your guess is as good as mine. A political observer whispered this to me a few days ago “You’re no more in control of Penang but you still fight over the state chairmanship. How ridiculous can you be?”
With the Gerakan problem and the crisis in the MCA and PPP, ( let’s forget the other minor issues), can you blame the BN leadership if they believe in Santa?.
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