Elections in Gerakan

Winning elections in Gerakan is more than coming out with a catchy slogan like “ Change You Can Believe In” and a branding process. It is really more like playing monopoly. The contestants try to get as many properties as they can and the winner gets it all.
The process normally starts a few years before the actual battle. The contestants have to gather soldiers and generals, and placed them in strategic positions. Soldiers = members and generals = delegates. When the battle starts, each contestant will fire accusations and innuendoes to each other. Some will even buy out the other generals literally or turn over the generals with psych weapons.
Sometimes when the battle is lost, the generals might even sabotage the outcome on technicality. That is when the NESC comes in. NESC or National Supervisory Election Committee tries very hard to remain neutral, which is not easy because they are humans too. In any case, dark unseen powers sometimes steps in and voila everything is fine and balance in the universe is restored.

Why Vote for Move IT

In many contests for the top posts in any political parties, things do not work out as it seems to be heading. Many unseen hands work in secret to put their so called "man" in place. That is why it is really difficult for a person with an idea and commitment to break into the comfortable cartel of power. In getting the unseen's hand approval or endorsement, a person might have to sell his soul to the devil.

Move IT in supporting the No Menu initiative has burned this very bridge to victory. Move IT only has his word and commitment for a better Gerakan as his weapon, not to mention a few comrades committed to the view of a just and transparent Gerakan Youth.

In not aligning with established power bases, Move IT is free to implement much needed reform in Gerakan Youth Johor. Positions given is not an honour, it is a responsibility. It should not be a reward given for loyalty but a trust that the job will be done.

Gerakan Youth Johor should have a program to attract like minded people into the party. A party is strong when it has a strong network of committed and active members. We should encourage more people to be our members and not block formation of the wing because they are not "our people". For your information, we have less youth divisions and branches than 3 years ago. We are shrinking into irrelevance.

UMNO jumped ship?

After the election, I always thought that if Gerakan is to stay true to its principles of equality and fairness, it will either be kicked from BN or asked to leave. Recent events have shown that we won't be the first one. UMNO in its bid to remain numero uno is now going to bed with PAS. Their motives are simple, total malay and muslim domination. The political scenario will be changed, with Barisan Melayu Islam on one side and Pakatan Dan Lain-lain on the other. Every policy will be race based and every decision quota approved. Is this the way forward?

New Gerakan Invention - Mobile Polling Center

Last Sunday, 27 July 2008 saw the birth of a new Gerakan innovation - The Mobile Polling Center. The divisional election in Pagoh was the first time the innovation was tried out. The trial run was a success when the election was completed in time and to the satisfaction of the delegates. The inventor of the Mobile Polling Center, Sdr Wee Chong Yan from Bakri Division who was also the Election Supervisor was forced to innovate when the appointed site of the election was not available on the stated time and date. Using readily available materials, the Mobile Polling Center was born.

Gerakan Johor Division Election

Divisional elections were held peacefully yesterday. No unexpected results were received unless YB Lau Chin Hoong lost in Sekijang to Sdr Peter Teo is considered an upset. Party insiders have already predicted the outcome based on the support at branch level. YB Lau never had a chance because there was a lack of preparation in organisation at branch level. Other results were expected. Dato Teo Kok Chee won easily in Gelang Patah as did Sdr Hoe in Pulai. Ex ADUN of Skudai Sdr Koo Kong Ek easily won in JB while Sdr Hew Chin had no problem in Kulai. There was no contest in Pagoh when the incumbent dropped out leaving the challenger unchallenged. The winner was the ex-chairman Tee Sing Kiat. On the Youth side, Sdr Chek Kwee won the Gelang Patah seat. There was no contest in Wanita.

Proton Perdana can of worms

The Proton Perdana/Mercedes Benz saga in Terengganu has been a revelation. The can of worms been implied in this saga shows how corrupt the govt machinery is. How do you maintain a car which cost more to maintain than the cost of the car in a year? I am sure even Ferrari has no answer to that. A lot of hanky panky must be going on and ACA must investigate. Don't just catch the workshop owners, get the people inside the govt too. It must have been easy money for the culprits. Take out good parts and put in imitation parts and charge the govt extra. This must be happening in other states too because other MBs also have the same complaint for the Perdanas. This can of worms must be exposed and punished.

Taman Universiti branch Installation Dinner

Gerakan Taman Universiti branch had an installation dinner for the 2008 to 2011 committees at the sports complex today. Sdr Ting Pang Seng was returned as the chairman of the 700+ members branch. Sdr Jason Lim is the Youth head while Sdri Wong Mei Kim is the Wanita chairman. Dato Teo Kok Chee was in attendance together with MP YB Liang Teck Meng.

BN Tajuddin shoots us on the foot.

MP Tajuddin from Pasir Salak just cannot say the right thing. While declaring that scholarships are Malay rights in the Parliament, he has again put BN into a corner. How can Gerakan support this man and the party he apparently represents. After the reform in the scholarships distribution last year from 90percent bumi and 10percent non bumi to 55 : 45 (bumi not malay), things were looking better and fairer. Tajuddin has put us in a corner. Can we or should we be in the same side as the person who makes such pronouncements? Why didn't our two MPs say something. After all it is official government policy now. Or are scholarships not worth defending? This is something we did right and it is definitely worth defending.

Anwar refuse DNA test

Why is Anwar refusing to take the DNA test? First he refused to swore to the quran, the Islamic version of chopping the head of a white rooster. Now he is refusing to take the DNA test. This will just give the police a reason to keep him longer in remand while getting an order from the court. In any case, this will paint a picture of a man not entirely innocent of the charges. Like Mukhriz said, ''Liwat atau tidak liwat'' that is the question.

Why is the police treating Anwar with kid's glove

The whole Anwar saga has exposed the feudalistic way the police treats different classes of criminals. You won't see the police pussy footing around Anwar if the Anwar in question was an illegal alien from Indonesia. They would just go his kongsi and haul him up right there and then. No appointment needed. And they won't need 15 ninja-like police personnel and a helicopter to do it either.

The Anwar in question is treated like royalty as if we are in the 15th century. I thought everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. Maybe next time when the police comes for me ( for my unpaid summons), I will get my lawyer to insist on an appointment. And when they come to serve the order(as required by law) unannounced, I will merajuk and not make the appointment. Then the police will have to come to me like paparazzi going for Britney. Hahaha I will have my 15 minutes of fame.

Note: Anwar was admitted to the ROYAL ward no less for the DNA test. Maybe he is royalty after all.

A step in the right direction

I was feeling good these couple of days. No, I did not strike 4D or such things. But when I saw the No 1 and No 2 of the Immigration Dept in handcuffs on the newspapers, there was warm glow flowing through my body. Maybe there is hope after all. Maybe this government is serious about getting rid of corruption. Well, this is a good start. I can't wait for the sequel : Custom Duo in Jail or ASPs in the slammer.

Business As Usual

Recently MP from Pasir Salak, Tajuddin Abdul Rahman labelled non-malays as immigrants in his parliamentary debate on RMK9 mid term review. It has brought criticism from various parties but Gerakan.

There was no news from any Gerakan leaders on this crucial matter. A branch leader from Pasir Gudang was so disappointed with this matter, that he wanted to withdraw from the party because he thinks the party is not voicing out the members' concern. He feels our party is now no longer relevant and has lost the initiative to voice out the concerns of the people.

Maybe the reason for our inaction was because our acting chairman is out of the country on holiday. It would seem we are headless when the head is not in. Our other leaders must be too busy with the elections to bother about the concerns of the people.

This is not acceptable. We cannot be headless every time the head is not available. Somebody must take up the mantle to voice out the concern of the people on behalf of Gerakan. If this is not done, the people will think we are stooges of UMNO and dare not say anything that will jeopardize the Gerakan-UMNO relationship. We are already seen as irrelevant and powerless. Unless we buck up and speak out in matters of national importance, we will be ostracized forever and we can forget about rebranding or reinventing or renaming or rejunevating Gerakan. Poo in another name smells just as bad.

Why are we still in election mode?

Why are there still election rallies? Why is the opposition still thinking of ruling the country. Didn't they lose the election? Why can't they wait 5 years to take over the government. If this goes on, the whole country will be in deep shit. Everyone is playing politics and no one is minding the store. Macam mana ni. Pilihanraya sudah habislah. Balik kerjalah YB-YB sekalian. Rakyat memerlukan khidmat mu.

Anwar vows to seize power?

I have a problem when a politician makes a vow like that. It seems he wants it so bad that he will do it by hook and by crook. It is the by crook way which I am adverse to. Is he going to do it in accordance to the law and constitution of the country or is he willing to spread chaos and anarchy just to get his wish. Chaos and anarchy is what I envision when I read into the statement. And now with sword of Saiful dangling over his head, he will be in overdrive to achieve his ambition. When the news broke, the first thing he did was to run and hide in the Turkish Embassy. The second was to report to Taiko USA, who immediately issued a warning. Is this an act of an innocent man? Even if he is innocent, is this the kind leader we want? A leader that runs at the first sign of trouble. Although he claimed the accuser was forced to make the report, there was no concern for the accuser's safety but instead slapped him with a suit as well. Now Anwar will go around to rouse the nation into his defense because that is his only way out.

More hanky panky in the branch elections

Yesterday a group of Gerakan members from a Kulai division branch complained that the list gazetted during the nomination did not tally with the final elected list. The discrepancy was in the list of delegates. One name which was not on the gazetted list was on the final elected list. They have decided to file a formal complaint to the NESC.

If this allegation is true, it shows yet again the arrogance of the powers that be. Election rules can be bend or even broken to suit their own purposes. It is a wonder we still have a party that can be respected.

We must not degenerate into a party controlled by the powerful few. We must remain a party of the people and for the people. Without the mandate of the people, we are irrelevant.