I can’t be silent, says Oh

Gerakan deputy president Oh Tong Keong stated that, as both the deputy chairman and the Penang state liaison committee chairman of Gerakan, he cannot stay silent in the face of external abuses or unreasonable demands.

Failing to address these issues would be a disservice to all loyal party members and supporters, he added. 

“My statements are based on the party’s commitment to fairness and justice, and to protecting the fundamental rights of all ethnic groups.

“At the same time, I want to remind our coalition partners that political alliances should be based on mutual respect, and not allow any single party to dominate.

“The Gerakan is allied with other parties but does not merge into them. 

“Therefore, we maintain our party’s views and positions on any issue, rather than fully adopting the ideas or practices of our coalition partners,” he said in a Facebook post.

“Even in the face of powerful adversaries, we must never compromise the party’s dignity. Let this be a reminder to all loyal party members and supporters,” he added.

Gerakan is a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, which includes Bersatu, Pas, SAPP, and MIPP.

“Over the past thirty years of the Gerakan’s journey, I have constantly reminded myself of the unyielding and fearless spirit of our founding leaders,” Oh said.

Recently, Oh said that Gerakan would not hesitate to exit PN if its member parties persist in promoting religious extremism and violating the rights of non-Muslims.

In response, Pas vice-president Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah reportedly suggested that Gerakan was welcome to leave PN if they wished.

This dispute follows recent disagreements between Pas and Gerakan leaders over the issue of vernacular schools accepting donations from a brewery.

Following the incident, Pas information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari suggested that his party and Gerakan might not work together in the next general election.