SHAH ALAM: Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong is still needed in Gerakan despite his resignation as party president.
Selangor Gerakan chairman Datuk David Ang Chin Tat said Mah still had a role to play in the party’s restructuring and rebranding.
“My understanding is that he (Mah) will not contest in the party election and he will finish his term as president. But that does not mean that is the end of Mah in Gerakan,” he told the New Straits Times today.
“He is stepping down as a leader to make way for the younger generation or wants a different style of leadership to be injected into the party. This is especially after Gerakan was rejected badly in GE14.
“We hope Mah will pick up another role (in the party) as we still need his services as we go through the restructuring and rebranding process.”
Mah announced yesterday that he was resigning as promised if the party performed badly in the 14th General Election (GE14).
It lost in all the 11 parliamentary and 31 state constituencies that it contested.
On June 23, Gerakan, which had been a member of Barisan Nasional since 1973, left BN.
Ang said Mah was still carrying out his duties as party president and would be opening state delegates’ conferences as a run-up to the national delegates’ conference in November.
He said, while they had hoped that Mah could stay on as party president, the latter’s decision to step down would be respected.
“During our earlier meetings, we did persuade him to keep the position and carry on for another term. But, announcing his resignation four months post GE14 showed that he had finally made up his mind,” Ang said.
“I think he has given a lot of thought on whether he wanted to remain as president or leave. This is unlike some other party leaders who quit immediately after GE14.
“We respect his decision because, after all, he contributed so much of his time to the party. He has done so much for the party and the people.”
Asked who was most fit to be the next Gerakan president, Ang said: ”Anyone is possible.”
