There is a very interesting but thought provoking exchange of opinions by a few commentators following the posting of the last article ( Business as usual?) by a concerned member of PGRM, Sdr Pook Kong Fee. A reader known as romerz, who has posted many insightful comments in the blogs of many bloggers and is no stranger to the blogsphere , has commented on the inert situation of PGRM following the dismay results of the recent General Election.
We hope to hear the reply from PGRM leaders on their views as well as the views of other commentators. PGRM members are encouraged to give thier views too.
We received another input from Sdr Pook KF, which we will post it below.
Hi,
Romerz had posted a comment in relation to something that I had written “Business as Usual” – April 10, 2008.
I posted a comment in relation to that, basically agreeing with romerz’s comment and went to suggest what Gerakan leaders could do. Mind you, romerz declared that he is not a member of any political party and that he voted for Gerakan candidate for the past 3 elections, both state and parliament!!
I am enclosing my comments below (within curly brackets, { }) for discussion.
In order to assist others to understand the comments, I have also enclosed romerz’s comments within brackets ( ).
I would like to add here that one of the new issues that had arisen this week is Pak Lah’s comments that people who convert to Islam should notify their family and to have some form of documentary evidence to prove the notification.
Various comments and suggestions had been voiced by NGOs, MCA and also DAP Karpal Singh, but none from Gerakan (at least in the english press).
During the week I have also received emails from NGOs notifying of the proposed meeting between the NGOs with the Mentri Besar of Selangor on 16 Apr and also the proposed nonimation forms for nominations of Councillors to be submitted to the Selangor State Government as well as the meeting the NGOs have had with Ronnie Liu one of the Selangor State Exco Member.
The email also attached the main points the NGOs have made vis a vis various issues of concern and relevance to the residents of Selangor. The issues raised are wide ranging.
If the NGOs (more than one diverse groups) can within the short time after the Mar 8 election, organised themselves, meet and present their views to the Selangor Exco members and also the speed at which the Selangor State Government is meeting with them, there is no reason why Gerakan cannot put its act together quickly and immediately,
Much time has passed, people are watching and Party members are also waiting for directions. Perceptions are being created in the minds of the people that the Pakatan Rakyat government is pro-active and sincerely in trying to solve the problems or concerns of the people.
Seriously, Gerakan has to move and to move now. The Party’s name calls for that as well.
One more thing, I similarly did not, till today receive any response or reply (automated or otherwise) to my email to Gerakan. I wanted to log into the Gerakan and to post some comments/issues but could not do so. I sent an email asking for advice on what needs to be done. Sad to say there is no response todate
Pook Kong Fee
This is the comment from member1982 in response to romerz’s comment below:
{romerz has summed the present perception of Gerakan very well.
I expected that Gerakan would be more organised, tech savy and would be the first amongst the BN parties to regroup and respond to the changes, expectations and aspirations that the Malaysian voters had shown in the Mar 8 elections.
Regrettably practically nothing is coming from the Gerakan leadership. Absolutely no comments, ideas as to what the Party’s positions are with regards to the various issues now being brought up as well as the allegations by the Pakatan Rakyat Penang state government about the land scams, mismanagement of the Penang State’s funds, both at council and state level.
This gives the impression that Gerakan is impotent. It also gives rise to the impression that the time that Gerakan was in power it was just warming the seats and do things on behalf of the UMNO, the dominant partner of Barisan Nasional.
It further provides the perception to the Malaysian people that Gerakan, for all the hype of many responsible and sincere professionals in the Party, is actually empty up there and do not have any opinions, ideas, plans, strategy whatsoever when confronted with issues and problems.
If the Party leaders really want to “reinvent” Gerakan and be the party of choice of the Malaysian people or to to provide the lead in formulating policies that will help heal the “gaps” between the various races, religions, social classes and segments of the Malaysian society, Gerakan leaders have to LEAD and to START TO LEAD NOW!!!! Otherwise Gerakan will find itself really irrelevant by the end of 2008.
Being out of the Federal and State Government, Gerakan may not be able to directly influence the policies of the Fed and Stat Government, but Gerakan can and must play the role of the “conscience of the Government and of the Barisan Nasional” by voicing out in the various medias, both conventional and non-conventional.
Gerakan can do so by stating the correct positions from a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural perspective to the various issues. Gerakan can do further, apart from stating its positions publicly, by studying and analysing the various immediate problems facing the country and the Malaysian people and to produce position papers proposing concrete solutions and action plans to solve or elevate these problems.
Granted Gerakan may not be in the position to implement any of these solutions or action plans, but it can be put to good use nevertheless. It can be used to educated its Party members and the general public so that people are more aware of the actual problems and the possible solutions and actions that could be taken.
It can be presented to the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council in which Gerakan is still represented for consideration and adoption. In fact this is the ONLY channel that Gerakan has to try influence the policies of the Fed Government, discounting the direct personal contacts between the Heads of the component parties.
The ideas, proposals, solutions or actions plans could well be “adopted” or “pirated” by Pakaktan Rakyat and implemented in the states under their control. I personally think that this may be too remote but I think some form or hybrid could be adopted by them and I think for the betterment of the country and the Malaysian people there is no harm. Never mind if they take the credit for the implementation, the country progress and the people are happy and enjoy the fruits of the progress.
But people will know that the solutions, proposal, action plans started from Gerakan.
Having said all these, perhaps the Gerakan leaders may have voiced some its opinions and may have been published in the non- english press, which I do not read. If this is so Gerakan leaders have also to find ways and means to ensure that their opinions are also widely publicised in the english media as well because many Malaysians read only one language media and english is one of the widely read media in Malaysia.
If the english press does not want to provide coverage due whatever reasons, perhaps it is high time that Gerakan consider its own Party newspaper to be sold to and subscribed by the general public, similar to what some other political parties have.
The Party newspaper can initially be published quarterly and the frequency increased as the paper gets more organised.
I believe the Party can find the resources, both brains, brawns and liquidity, to get these things done. After all the Party resources have improved tremendously sine 1982.}
Below is the original comment from reader romerz in response to the article “Business as usual” posted in this blog last week:
(romerz Says:
April 10, 2008 at 6:46 pm
The silence from Gerakan is indeed deafening. Except for a few comments here and there, it’s almost as if the party ceased to exist since 8 March. Even the Gerakan website has nothing much to say, more like it’s caught in a time warp before 8 March.
Well, it’s a month past 8 March and after the biggest blow suffered to Gerakan as a party since its formation. The silence is bewildering for those who supported Gerakan and are now unsure where to go from here.
I’m not a member of any political party but because of my residence, I have for 3 elections now, to choose between a Gerakan candidate and a DAP candidate. For all 3 elections, I have given my votes to the Gerakan candidate, both state and federal. It is not because I’m ‘in love’ with Gerakan but more because I didn’t see the opposition as a viable alternative then.
Well, all that has changed. Since 8 March, the 3 components of Pakatan Rakyat are saying and pressing all the right buttons, with the occasional hiccup here and there, which is amazing given its different ideologies and the short period of time they have had to transit from opposition to government in 4 states. I’m not saying that they have suddenly become viable but they are increasingly appealing to me as an alternative that will fight for what I cherish for this country and in turn, for my descendants.
Those of us not within the party or the inner circle of the leadership asks a very simple question of Gerakan.
“Do you still want our support or not?”
If you do, then for heaven’s sakes come forth and be seen to have heard the ‘loud’ message the rakyat just sent you a month ago and show us leadership. Silence only gives the perception that Gerakan is ‘lost’ and waiting for UMNO to show direction. The very reason why so many of the ‘middle ground’ voters has had enough and were ‘pushed’ to vote for the opposition.
No matter how ugly it is, be it leadership crisis, loss of direction, or even fear of the unknown, etc; put it to an issue now! Delay will surely spell Gerakan’s demise!
Having the party elections next year, after UMNO’s, will only give the perception that Gerakan cannot decide its own future by its own members. But is dependent on UMNO before setting its own course.
Perception is everything. As Aedhmar Hynes, CEO of Text 100 International, said, institutional trust is eroding, more and more people are turning to ‘peer media’. Unfounded accusations (as frequently raised in the blogs) of Gerakan may be perceived to be true, in part by Gerakan’s unwillingness to challenge it.
Difficult times require difficult response. Gerakan owes it to its members and those non-members who supported it all these times an answer now. If it’s unsure of where to lead us, then be sincere and tell us now then disband and let all its supporters choose their own course.
Isn’t sincerity what the party had always proclaimed when confronted with difficult issues? Not so much Gerakan’s own creation but UMNO’s. Why now when we need to know most is it so silent?
Even the MCA is moving faster than Gerakan. I say this because I was so stirred-up about Malaysia’s future since the outcome of the 12GE that I shot-off emails to MCA and Gerakan, giving my views about what happened on 8 March, uninvited as it may be.
Surprise surprise! I not only received a reply from MCA (I had expected Gerakan to respond 1st, if at all) but I actually got a phone call from MCA asking me to continue sending emails of relevance relating to the minority communities, which I might add is still ongoing and replied, not by a bot but by a person!
Guess what I got from Gerakan? Nothing, zilch, zero, and I thought being on a multi-racial platform would have a better chance than MCA for survival.
For those within the party, I appeal to you to set something in motion. Don’t really care what it is except that it makes the party leadership get off their behinds and do something drastic to salvage sinking ship!)
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