Penang Umno liaison secretary Azhar Ibrahim has described Dr Lim Keng Yaik’s decision to quit as Gerakan advisor yesterday as the action of a hurting elder ( orang tua merajuk ).

He said Lim was not angry but was disappointed with what was happening in the party.

“If an elder speaks (as advisor) but no one listens, of course he will feel hurt. It does not mean he is angry. He (Lim) only wants Gerakan to be a strong party,” he said after attending a Raya celebration hosted by Fama in Butterworth today.

Lim who handed over the Gerakan presidency to  Dr Koh Tsu Koon in April 2007, announced his decision to quit as party advisor yesterday as he was unhappy with Koh’s leadership style and failure to take proactive measures to solve various issues although advice was given.

He was also disappointed to learn that Koh would not be attending the Penang Gerakan extraordinary general meeting this Sunday to resolve the party leadership crisis in the state but chose to attend the MCA annual general meeting instead.

Asked to comment on the crisis in Penang Gerakan, he said a contest for the top post in any party was normal and part of the democratic process.

“Maybe there are those who want to replace the Gerakan state chief Dr Teng Hock Nan, but it’s not wrong.

“Teng himself has said that if he loses in the contest this Sunday, he would still be supporting Gerakan and if he wins, he would want to strengthen the party and continue to pursue the Barisan Nasional agenda together with the other component parties,” he said.

Azhar said Umno also wanted Gerakan to be strong and work together to recapture Penang and other states won by the opposition pact in the 2008 general election.

- Bernama