Former Penang Gerakan acting youth chief Jason Loo Jieh Sheng has called for party president Dominic Lau to be replaced, claiming the latter has both shamed and “ruined” the party.
In a scathing open letter to Gerakan central candidates posted on Facebook, Loo criticised Lau’s political acumen and alleged craze for publicity.
The Gerakan Muntri Street Branch chairperson also said these led to Lau wasting time needed to revive the party.
“Change the president now or Gerakan will be a museum piece forever.
“Stop his publicity craze now as he had brought shame to the party publicly.
“He has no political acumen, no political direction, no political judgment, no plan, no strategy, no idea and has ruined the party inside out.
“He got slapped publicly for his stupidity, and all of us got slapped as well. He can be stupid politically, but (all the) members of the party cannot be viewed as stupid politically.
“He wasted much of the time needed for Gerakan’s revival. As such, we must not waste our time on him,” he said.
Speaking to the New Straits Times, Loo described Lau as an “opportunist” looking to curry favours from current leaders.
“In recent months, he was seen as an opportunist by trying to court the favour of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad by inviting him as guest-of-honour at Gerakan’s Chinese New Year Open House, declaring support for Anwar Ibrahim in the Port Dickson by-election, offering Mohamed Azmin Ali a place in Gerakan during the ‘Sheraton Move’ and the latest, declaring support for Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.
“One cannot stoop so low in politics, but Lau did it.
“[…]The current (Gerakan) leadership has failed to live up to Gerakan’s founding expectations. They are just pursuing self-interest,” he reportedly said.
Instead, Loo described the party’s former leaders – Syed Hussein Alatas, Lim Chong Eu and Lim Keng Yaik – as visionaries and reformists.
As for the fourth president, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, he added, throughout his political career, he was a conformist who avoided the confrontational approach and chose to follow the leadership, which won him praises as well as criticism.
Loo said the fifth president, Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong, like Koh, had avoided being confrontational. He followed the path set by the leadership and pulled Gerakan out of Barisan Nasional immediately after the 2018 General Elections.
“The sixth and current president, who became leader with the full backing of Mah, wanted to be recognised as someone who is well-versed with the Blue Ocean strategy, but he lost in his attempts in the Batu parliamentary seat (by-election) twice in a row despite deploying the strategy!