When Party Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia was set up in 1968, it was meant to be a multi-ethnic party. However, after 37 years of existence, Gerakan is still basically a predominantly Chinese party.

What had gone wrong? How hard has the leadership worked to develop Gerakan into a truly multi-ethnic party?

We know it is not easy to form a multi-ethnic party that is truly reflected in its leadership and membership. Nevertheless, the party's founders, Dr Tan Chee Khoon, Prof Syed Hussein Alatas, V Veerappen and K George, had tried hard to develop Gerakan as a truly multi-ethnic party.

From the beginning, special efforts were made to attract Malays to the Gerakan leadership and rank and file. This was considered vital to the multi-racial character and objectives of the party. Five of the 16 members elected to the Gerakan pro-tem committee were Malays.

To especially woo the Malays, the party in its first statement of policy placed the utmost emphasis on non-communalism and made a special mention of the needs of the Malay community.

But what has happened in the years after? Though the leadership vows to continue its multi-ethnic ideology, there has been no Malay leader holding any position in the central committee until my involvement in Gerakan 16 years ago.

There have been few Indian leaders in the Gerakan. This is regressive - not progressive. The party needs to do something about it, if it wants to continue to be regarded as a multi-ethnic party.

Gerakan must have the courage to admit that it has failed to draw the Malays and Indians to the party. Why? What are its strategies to get more Malay and Indian members? As far as I know, there have not been any efforts, let alone plans and strategies, to enroll Malays and Indians as members for a long time.

Gerakan also stands for the downtrodden. But, how much has it done for them? Has Gerakan consistently argued for pro-worker policies in the BN? The workers' right to form a union is still not guaranteed in Malaysia. The minimum wage demand by the workers is still not accorded.

The plantation workers have had a rotten deal for far too long. Gerakan should be seen to defend the workers' interests and strive to project a pro-rakyat image.

Unfortunately, the party is now seen to be troubled by infighting. In this 21st century, Gerakan should be seen as a party putting concerted efforts in developing its potential as a truly multi-ethnic and pro-rakyat party. It must be seen to be able to combat the prevailing racial politics towards creating a non-racial political environment.

I vow to stand by the party founders and to strive for a prosperous, just and rational society, uncontaminated by feudalism, corruption, inefficiency, indolence, superficiality, communalism, and the subversion of democracy.

The writer is Gerakan chairperson, Shah Alam Section 17 branch.