KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (Bernama) -- Gerakan will contest in all state and parliamentary seats which it lost in the last general election, said party president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
He said the party had begun making preparations on the ground to recapture the seats.
In the 2008 general election, Gerakan lost all its 12 state seats in Penang while it managed to retain only two out of 10 parliamentary seats in other states.
This had resulted in Penang Umno chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to call on the Umno leadership to review the seat allocation and field more candidates in Penang in the next general election.
Speaking to reporters after opening the Gerakan National Delegates Conference at Menara PGRM here today, Koh said the comment was considered as Zahid's personal opinion as the matter was never discussed in the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council and Management Committee meetings.
Earlier, he announced that Gerakan was expected to identify and introduce its candidates for the next general election after next year's Chinese New Year celebrations.
-- BERNAMA
NOTA KAKI:He said the party had begun making preparations on the ground to recapture the seats.
In the 2008 general election, Gerakan lost all its 12 state seats in Penang while it managed to retain only two out of 10 parliamentary seats in other states.
This had resulted in Penang Umno chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to call on the Umno leadership to review the seat allocation and field more candidates in Penang in the next general election.
Speaking to reporters after opening the Gerakan National Delegates Conference at Menara PGRM here today, Koh said the comment was considered as Zahid's personal opinion as the matter was never discussed in the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council and Management Committee meetings.
Earlier, he announced that Gerakan was expected to identify and introduce its candidates for the next general election after next year's Chinese New Year celebrations.
-- BERNAMA
Nampaknya Koh Tsu Koon takut dengan Umno mengambil alih kawasan-kawasan Gerakan yang lemah dan terkulai. Sebelum ini ada pemimpin Gerakan yang mencabar Umno supaya bertanding di kawasan yang ramai Cina jika Umno kuat.
Kenyataan tersebut merupakan satu ugutan kepada Umno . Gerakan kena ingat walaupun Umno pernah menang lebih banyak kerusi daripada Gerakan dan jika diikutkan Koh Tsu Koon ketika itu patut melepaskan jawatannya kepada Umno , tetapi atas semangat Barisan Nasional Umno sanggup merelakan Koh kekal sebagai Ketua Menteri.
Hari ini pun jika merujuk kepada pecahan kaum, Gerakan juga perlu menang di kawasan yang lebih ramai pengundi Melayu.
Beberapa bulan lepas Koh sendiri pernah mengatakan sukar bagi BN untuk mengambil kembali Pulau Pinang. Tetiba Koh kembali bersemangat untuk merampas kembali Pulau Pinang, soalnya mengapa baru sekarang teringat nak ambil kembali setelah YB Dato Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi ingin menyusun semula agihan kerusi Dun Pulau Pinang. Koh takut hilang kerusi Gerakan sebelum bertanding nampaknya.
Kepada Koh dan pemimpin Gerakan yang lain, supaya memberikan peluang dan ruang kepada Zahid untuk mengatur strategi merampas kembali negeri tersebut.
