'There are forces within BN that are eyeing Gerakan seats. They hope to tear Gerakan apart. Umno is also eyeing the Penang chief minister's post.'

Koh trumpets Gerakan's 27,000 new members

Onyourtoes : Gerakan, how you started and what you were supposed to be are not important. It is what you have done and what you have become.

Businesses and investments are important, but life is not just about making money. A good government must ensure quality of life, good governance, protection of environment, cleanliness, security, fairness, access to good education, healthcare and civil liberty.

Frankly, I always have my doubts about the role of government in businesses and investment. Just leave the market economy alone, businesses and investments will take care of themselves. What the government had done to businesses was usually to create distortions favouring some sectors or businessmen at the expense of others.

That is the problem for most governments - doing things that they are not supposed to do, and not doing things they are supposed to do.

Asoka: There are forces within BN that are eyeing Gerakan seats. They hope to tear Gerakan apart.

The MCA-controlled Star newspaper has never been friendly to Gerakan. Umno is also eyeing the Penang chief minister's post. PPP with Umno's help is also looking for seats to contest.

Dood : If Gerakan is really relevant, party leader Koh Tsu Koon wouldn't need to tell people that - people will know. The fact that people feel the need to trumpet their supposed relevance shows otherwise.

Rick Teo : I know how the Gerakan division leaders increase their membership. I was also one of the victims.

They organised golf tournaments and require every player to register as a member of Gerakan. After playing the tournament, the party leader uses the duped member to vote himself in as division chief.

Kgen : Do you know how MCA recruits new members? They are willing to pay you pocket money to join and they will pay the membership fees for you.

These sleeping members are valuable as phantom votes in branch elections. Hence I'm not impressed that Gerakan has recruited 27,000 new members. What is the quality of their members?

Hungryghost : Koh's 'shiok sendiri' statement is not surprising given that in Penang no one has anything positive to say about Gerakan. If he had done so much for Penang, he should come back and contest against Lim Guan Eng in the next GE.

But will he? Your guess is as good as mine.

Confused : We all still remember very clearly when the Koh kept quiet after Perkasa-types took his picture and tore it up into pieces .

How can we respect such a leader when he cannot even stand up and defend himself. All we can see is a leader who is a 'yes' man for BN.

20121221Disaster: To be fair, Gerakan could not perform because of the bullying, pressure and its power being hijacked by the leadership of Penang Umno. Otherwise they would had done better. Sorry to say, they have been, and are still, under Umno.

Blind Freddo: It looks like Koh is another graduate from the Election Commission School of Mathematics.

Borg Kinaulu: If after the next election, 100 percent of Gerakan elected representatives are from Sabah, perhaps Gerakan should move its headquarters to Kota Kinabalu and let a Sabahan be its chief since the state is the new party stronghold.

Khairy won't protest if ranked as 'not winnable'

Ksn : Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin is asking the members to accept the decisions of the party leadership without question. What sort of advice is that, Khairy? Are you suggesting that members cannot question the leadership even if bad decisions are made by the leadership?

Do you not want the candidates chosen to be competent, with unquestionable integrity, have the knowledge to contribute to nation building, not given to fanaticism, both religious and racial, not corrupt and corruptible, that sort of good traits the people and the country have the right to expect from the candidates who will be our future leaders?

No wonder BN, especially Umno, is in such a pathetic state with no real leaders to speak of to lead the nation. I cannot resist the temptation to point out that the bad leadership started with Dr Mahathir Mohamad. It has been a free fall in standards from then.

Artchan: Seriously, KJ, do you really think Umno gives a crap about you? You deserved what you get today because when the whole of Umno was backstabbing your father-in-law, you did nothing.

And really, can you stand up to Muhyiddin Yassin, Mukhriz Mahathir and his father? The only face saving act now is to come forth and tell Umno you do not wish to be a candidate.

It will save you and the ‘MMM' gang a lot of time and trouble. No one wants you. Start living with that fact.

Victor Johan: KJ attempts the use of 'reverse psychology'. Perhaps he already knew of his non-selection by Najib to contest in the coming general election.

'Ali Setan' star denies insulting Agong in sermon

Viral: About those who had lodged a police report against former actor turned religious speaker Azmil Mustapha: are they saying human beings are greater than the Creator himself?

I'm sad to see that even the Creator himself is being humiliated by the so-called defenders of the faith.

Kee Thuan Chye: This just shows the state of paranoia in this country today - both in politics and religion. If it doesn't end soon, life is going to be very hard for Malaysians, especially Muslims.

Sanity must return to Malaysian life, not emotionalism and misplaced religious fervour. And please stop using the line about insulting the Agong. It's getting tiresome.

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