A party faction which has called for an emergency general meeting (EGM) to oust Penang Gerakan chief Teng Hock Nan has reaffirmed its stand just before the state Youth and Women wings annual meeting today.

Gerakanlah Gerakan spokesperson Yeap Ban Choon said that the EGM, scheduled on Oct 10, is called to resolve the “complex and serious” problems faced by the party which have been accumulated over the years.  

gerakan teh tarik forum 301009 teng hock nan He said his group, launched to initiate reforms within the party, was concerned with the survival of Penang Gerakan, whose moribund problems were directly linked to Teng .

Yeap added that the purpose of the EGM was to pass a motion of no-confidence against Teng ( right ), former Pulau Tikus assemblyperson, and the act has nothing to do with the party at the national level.

“We believe that the right to call for an EGM to resolve the leadership problem is an inalienable right of members as provided for in the party constitution when all avenues for a settlement are closed,” he said.

“It is undemocratic and will be futile for any sector to interfere with this process,” he added in a statement that was distributed to reporters at the party’s headquarters in Jalan Macalister just before the Youth and Women wings’ AGM.

Relive the spirit of 69

Yeap stressed that the group wanted to reiterate that the act of calling for the controversial EGM was a “grassroots action to make Gerakan relevant again”.    

He said that the group was initiating the action so that the party’s contribution to Penang for the last 39 years would be rightfully appreciated by history.

Yeap urged all parties to refrain from using undemocratic practices such as “horse trading, money politics, lies and empty promises” to win support.

He also called on the delegates who have the interests of the party at heart to fight for its survival and not for any particular leader to perpetuate the interests of his or her faction.

“We urge the delegates to relive the spirit of ’69, during which the party fought for a better, non-racial, just and fair society; when the members thought less for their individual positions but more for the interests of the party,” he said.