Gerakan President Dr Lim Keng Yaik has ruled out any possibility that he would be quitting the party anytime soon despite a recommendation from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently for all party veterans to make room for younger leaders.

Lim said the decision for him to stay on was not made on his own accord but by other party leaders who have expressed their wish for him to remain as party leader.

"Two years ago, I have asked the central committee to let me quit but they have asked me to stay on. It is not an issue because we have no problems in the party. The party is very stable," he told a press conference at the Gerakan headquarters in Cheras this afternoon.

Lim, who has been Gerakan president since 1980, declined to comment on when he might retire, saying only that he would leave the matter to the party's central committee.

"It might be another 50 years, 20 years or another two years. I don't know. You have to ask them (other party leaders)," he quipped when questioned by reporters.

Full confidence

Earlier, Gerakan deputy president Kerk Choo Ting (photo) said the party central committee had earlier held a meeting with Lim in absentia to discuss the matter of the latter's leadership position.

"The central committee decided unanimously to express full confidence in the leadership of Dr Lim Keng Yaik," he said.

In an interview with the Bernama news agency on Tuesday, Mahathir advised veteran Barisan Nasional politicians to step down and make way for new faces.

The premier, who will be retiring at the end of this month, said veteran leaders should instead assist new candidates in the campaigns in the upcoming general election.

Meanwhile, Lim also announced today that the party's branch and divisional elections scheduled originally for March next year would be postponed until after the general election.

He said the move was intended to enable the party to focus on preparations for the general election and not due to any problems in the party.

On the likely date for the elections, Lim said he would not speculate as the decision would be made by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who will succeed Mahathir.

The Gerakan president also could not indicate the party's share in the Barisan Nasional of the new state and parliamentary seats following the redelineation exercise by the Election Commission.

"Don't ask me how many seats we are going to get. There has been no negotiations yet within the BN on this," he said.

Two task forces

The Gerakan president said other preparation are being made by the party ahead of the polls including the setting up of two task forces, one headed by party secretary-general Chia Kwang Chye (photo) to reestablish branches and divisions according to the new seat boundaries, while the other to prepare the party machinery.

"I will head the election task force and my deputy will be Kerk Choo Ting. We will be going around the country to organise training sessions to prepare our election workers."

Although the general election is due only by November next year, it is widely expected to be held as early as next April for the ruling coalition to take advantage of the new mood following the leadership transition and the positive growth rate which has been forecasted for the economy this year.