A senior lawyer posed me a question in court this morning: is your party President doing a good job? I did not answer him precisely although we talked and laughed over a cup of teh-tarik. So is the party actually relevant to the public? Of course, with our representatives in the government and Penang’s comrades activism, our voices are heard. One may asks why only in Penang? This is a separate issue of which I have discussed it in my previous postings.
Looking at a different angle, the reason why Gerakan still has a role to play in our political system today is the very fact of the incentives given to the party activists and elites, in exchange for party loyalty. As a result party patronage may helps Gerakan to develop clientelistic networks as a means of maintaining electoral support. This is not a new phenomenon, of course. Many political parties around the world have used this strategy. As Gerakan become more entwined within the system and coalition, and as we have lost our traditional grounding in Penang, patronage can become a key resource in anchoring the party presence within the political system and in controlling flow of communication. Through patronage, and through the appointment of party members/leaders to key ministries and institutions, Gerakan can hope to gain an oversight of the likely demands posed to the political leaders, as well as of the likely policies that are needed to meet these demands. Patronage in this sense might compensate for otherwise decaying party networks or relevance.
Ultimately Gerakan must constantly examine the party’s ability and people’s (voters) mentality towards BN over time, and the extent to which party patronage is exercised as a privilege or we shared it proportionately across the spectrum of other component parties. In short we have to access the strength and impact of party patronage across time and space, after all it is nothing illegitimate about it.
andyyong
Andy,
Interesting analysis, never thought about it.
Hi andyksyong,
Indeed it is true, Gerakan has lost its flare in power struggles. it doesn’t matter who to blame, the fact is there is nothing valuable in the party for an ordinary citizen to support. Worst still many of your leaders and members are not realising it or couldn’t be bothered.
Gerakan is no more an ideology-based party as there is clearly no methods or guidelines to achieve those objectives. As a result like what you say the party is trying very hard to breathe from the surface of the water by political patronage. Such will not last. The political thinking influenced by grass-roots movements distinguishes between two radically distinct meanings of power: power as transformative capacity and power as domination, as involving an asymmetry between those with power and those over whom power is exercised.
This understanding of power as transformative capacity is related to a distinct understanding of social change, implicit in the practice of the movements. Crucial here is the way that you started from the party’s circumstances and take personal responsibility for change by refusing to reproduce relations of oppression and exploitation – in lives and in implicit complicity with it elsewhere, especially out of Penang – and by struggling to create spaces for transformation and to at least illustrate alternative values.
As you know, the Gerakan did not take up these opportunities for radical social change at a national level. Grass-root support is no more the priority. Beside being a matter of political ill will or reasoned disagreement; it was the result of a complete incomprehension of a fundamentally different understanding of politics. Gerakan must instil such warnings to the aspiring and committed members.
It will be ideal for Gerakan to start all over again and change within instead of relying on others to revive.
It is common that knowledge that Koh Tsu Koon had done nothing for the party and no improvement or reforms since GE 2008. He promise reforms but just empty promises.
Even gerakan youth chief Lim See Pin is equally useless. Doing nothing and just sitting there by virtue of him being Lim Keng Yaik’s son.
This is a trend that will eventually destroy the party.
Andy, I suggest you should have the courage to openly criticize both Koh n Lim.
Nothing new, no capital lick umno shoeslah. No need to complicate by using the term patronage, just say sucking game! I am very very sure now to many people out there Gerakan is really irrelevant now or may be a dog, so why vote for a dog?? Gerakan is drowning and if by next election dont perform better, u know what happenlah. Even if umno or PM may still likes yr president, mca, mic, ppp will challenge any position given. I agree wth rubenloh, Gerakan is facing a leadership problem, all are selfish people not fighting for the party aggressively but position. Therefore even if you all leave BN, no difference, that is why Koh is scared due to his incapability.
Andy, a message to yr Persident:
There is only thing Gerakan do now since GE 08 – press statements, that is all. It is not important what kind of political games are played by Gerakan now. Just go to the ground esp in Penang, get a spy and ask around about their views on the party, I guarantee 90% and above are criticsms. Why esp after so many years of ruling? It is not difficult figure it out and by doing all those high end actions or theoretical approach will not benefit your party because people will not vote for Gerakan anymore, be practical, UNDERSTAND?
STOP THE DENIAL SYNDROM MR KOH SU KOON! IT’S NOW OR NEVER, CHANGE THE PARTY, OTHERWISE CHANGE YOURSELF! DONT BE GREEDY TO GRAB EVERYTHING, YOU HAD IT BEFORE BUT YOU DESTROYED IT. THINK FOR THE PARTY FOR HEAVEN SAKE, NOT YOUR POSITION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
G leaders or CC are all followers and useless. May be great actors in front of the members but in reality, their ideas and beliefs are outdated and coward. Those who got it before want to hold on for pride, those opportunist want glamour and hoping for monetary gains. It is very unhealthy, no demcracy in the party.
Wth them ‘killing’ off Huan, it is obvious that the leaders want to monopolise the party. Undemocratic and unhealthy to the party. The useless old hags in the party must go, dont hold on too long like Samy, after all nothing much can be changed. ANd no point bringing up the youth as their puppets, the party need brave and down to earth young leaders.
Patronage may be a good way to make Gerakan heard but it can never be a long term strategy. Hopefully sth is in the bag for the future of the party.
Conscience of Bn? Opposition in BN? Speak within BN? My foot!
Just tell me what can Gerakan do for the people of Malaysia? I dont see anything since the last lost in the general election except releasing press statement echoing others opinions or mere cheap publicity. And of course few government appointments. Wake up guys before the party really become 100% irrelevant.