Aware of the challenges

Written by John Lim

Friday, 27 March 2009 15:58

“If you found out that your girlfriend is seeing someone else, you'll do everything to find out what she likes to win her heart back, right? That's what we're doing,” says Ng Yeen Seen, the director of media & communications of Sedar, Gerakan's independent political think tank. It's a peculiar analogy Gerakan's plight, but it fits. Like other component parties of the Barisan Nasional (BN), Gerakan is undergoing a soul-searching time as it struggles to be relevant and attractive again after March 8. After being ousted from Penang together with MCA in favour of Pakatan Rakyat parties, Gerakan, one could say, is the unkempt and overweight ex-boyfriend that hasn't fully recovered from being dumped. “Our job is to make the party look slim and attractive again,” Ng says. Working together with Sedar's Executive Director, Khaw Veon Szu, she isn't expecting the easiest job in shaping up the party who lost all their contested seats in their Penang stronghold. Regaining relevancy is one big task, but where does one start when you don't even have a foothold? Or, to put it in the context of Ng's analogy, how does one win the girl back when you lost her phone number? Ng on her analogy Repackaging Gerakan (L-R): Sedar's director of media & communications Ng Yeen Seen and executive director Khaw Veon Szu Started in 2001, the Socio-Economic Development and Research Institute (Sedar), is a think-tank for Parti Gerakan Malaysia, which was founded in 1968. The party is known for its middle-ground approach to politics, emphasising a commitment to stick to the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara. In 2004's general election, Gerakan were riding on high, having won 10 out of 12 contested parliament seats and 30 out of 31 contested state seats. In Penang, they won three out of four parliament seats and all 13 state seats. That all turned sour four years later when the nominally non-racial party failed to field a single non-Chinese candidate. Gerakan only managed to win four State seats, two in Kedah and one each in Pahang and Johor. On the parliamentary level, it only won two seats, one each in Perak and Johor. “The downfall started in 2004,” says Khaw, a lawyer by profession and who lost in his bid for the Tanjong Parliamentary seat. “Arrogance stepped in, which we failed to see and BN became increasingly detached from the people. It's difficult in hindsight to say that Gerakan was 'kicked-out'—the people in Penang wanted to teach BN, in particular, Umno a lesson. Because of that the component parties were punished too.” Khaw on BN's problem of negative public perception Khaw on the Opposition's campaign strategy It has taken them almost a year before Sedar could restructure itself in preparing for a post-2008 era of Gerakan. Khaw has only stepped in last February, while Ng was an education councilor with Wawasan Open University prior to joining SEDAR in August last year. The eight-man strong think-tank now comprises of two main divisions that Khaw oversees: Communications & Media, and Public Policy research. “We needed some time to reorganise and restructure Sedar—it's been in the pipeline for much longer, but it was hard to find the right people with the right mindset and passion for the party,” says Ng. Three Points Considering that they are a year late, they're on a tight schedule if they want to achieve their goal. For now, says Khaw, they have a three-point plan in making Gerakan the attractive party it was: the message, the platform, and party members. The coalition’s outdated message, he explains, is part of the reason why Gerakan fared badly in the last elections. “The younger generation doesn't want to hear about 'stability' and 'peace',” he says. “They are more ideological, and are attracted to more abstract concepts like civil liberties, human rights and freedom of speech.” “We're not saying that what they want isn't practical,” Ng says. “What we have to understand is that this new generation and the generation that experienced 1969 are totally different—and we can't approach these two groups in the same way. It's just not marketable,” she adds. Khaw and Ng on what the new generation of voters want The platform of public policies, strategies, speeches, and events is another part that needs to be revisited, but they emphasise that the party's ideologies of “placing nation before party and race” is still the focus. “The idea is the same,” says Khaw. For instance, Gerakan's Project Anak Malaysia, which aims to generate a proactive attitude, especially among the younger generation, to fight for citizen rights has been well-received. “That shows that the ideas still appeal to the younger generation. It's just a matter of how we spread that message.” For the final point, things get a little vague. He says that a “radical change in mindset” must occur within the party, but how they intend to achieve that goal—without committing to change the party's leadership line-up—is something they haven't figured out yet. “The main task for us now is to keep the Gerakan's base in Penang intact by sticking to the three points  to stay relevant,” he says. “It's not that we can't do anything—through speeches, events, and programmes we can spread ideas that we believe can capture the people Executive director Khaw Veon Szu 's imagination, and from then on let the people decide on which ideas are better. Essentially, our goal remains the same, it's just how we approach the people.” “Still Asleep” For Sedar, that previous statement is easier said than done. It's not great to admit, but Gerakan is still perceived as an ineffective party that hasn't stood up enough to Umno. “We are aware of the negative perception, but not every party in the BN has woken up to that fact yet and time is running out,” Khaw says. The inertia of such a long legacy is there, he admits, but regardless of what Umno does or doesn't do to reform itself, he is adamant that Gerakan must take steps to change. “To us, our immediate concern is to do something about the party so that we can still be relevant and be a constructive force, regardless of what Umno does.” It can't be denied that Sedar's mission to turn Gerakan 180 degrees before the next General Election looks slimmer with each passing day. Khaw, however, places hope in the fluid nature of politics: “All political parties have to realise that they will lose power one day,” he says, adding that “change is the only constant.” A double-edged statement that questions BN's future, while offering hope that Gerakan might regain a foothold in their former Penang fortress. "What may work for the Pakatan in the last election might not work the next time around,” Ng says. “We do see a light at the end of the tunnel, we do have hope. If not, we wouldn't be here.” ========= Hope last GE going to be our last wake up call to gerakan leaders. HIDUP GERAKAN !