GERAKAN sinks into oblivion

Is man zheng (literal translation for the people's party in Cantonese) turning into mun zheng (mosquito party)?

Gerakan has been losing its sense of direction. Despite claiming to be a Chinese-based multi-racial party within BN, it has lost significant support among the Chinese community due to the perceived frequent kow-tow to UMNO.

Its standing among the Indian community is even worse. Lack of Indian representation in its party leadership, its pre-March 8 silence on issues concerning Indian community (including HINDRAF) and failure to field any Indian candidate in the recent general election count among the reasons.

Ironically, DAP, used to be seen as an opposition Chinese-based party known for championing communal cause, now has the most number of elected representatives from the Indian community. In fact, it has the first Deputy Chief Minister and State Assembly Speaker from that community.

Gerakan has been wiped out from its power base in the Penang state following the March 8 political tsunami. Without any elected representative in Parliament/State Assembly from the state, it does not even get a seat on the opposition bench in the assembly hall.

Without any platform to work on, the party will spend the next few years in political wilderness. Gerakan's absence in the Cabinet (essentially the main decision-making body in the country) only makes it worse.

The fact that some of its members resorted to putting up road signs in Chinese language to garner publicity is a reflection of their desperation.

Deeply wounded from its miscalcualted 'marriage' with PAS in 1999 and failure of a quick rebound in 2004 due to the initial popularity of PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who had just entered the office, DAP has successfully re-engineered itself as a party that promotes competency, accountability and transparency for Malaysians. And the party was duly rewarded with its greatest ever electoral success in the history on March 8, 2008.

Gerakan now faces similar challenges or risks sinking into oblivion.