Gerakan Deputy Secretary General Liang Teck Meng today expressed his appreciation to the Prime Minister for accepting and respecting party president Dr Koh Tsu Koon’s decision not to contest in the next General Election. He also thanked the Prime Minister’s concern over the matter.

Nevertheless, referring to reports in a few media, Liang would like to clarify that under the Constitution of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, the key leadership positions of Gerakan, such as president and deputy president at the national level, and chairmen at the state, division and branch levels, are all elected positions.

As per 30.1 (a) of Gerakan’s Constitution, it is stated clearly that a state chairman is to be elected from amongst the delegates at the State Delegates’ Conference. Hence, there is no issue of Gerakan Penang State Chairman to be decided later, as attributed by some media as a comment by the Prime Minister.
Liang also said that Gerakan is one of the very few political parties in the country which practices election for all leadership positions at all levels. In other major parties, a state chairman is appointed by the party president or central committee. This is not so in Gerakan.

Hence, the position of Gerakan’s state chairmanship is decided by the state delegates, and not by anyone else.