Wanita Gerakan chief Tan Lian Hoe said today that party leaders, including its president Koh Tsu Koon, must get their act together or step down.

gerakan agm 151011 tan lian hoe At a press conference after the opening of the Wanita Gerakan AGM, she refused to name Koh outright, but later implied he should either "be brave or leave" after being repeatedly pressed over the matter.

In her policy speech earlier, she had called on leaders rejected by the people to step down without naming anyone.

When asked if was referring to Koh, who led Gerakan to a total wipeout in Penang during the 2008 general election in her speech, Tan ( right ) replied: "I think I shouldn’t deny that".

"But it does not mean that he must step down, he must make an announcement that can be a shot in the arm for the party... If he stays, he needs to do something."

Asked if she thought that Koh was a weak leader, she responded: "Sometimes weak in certain things (like) in making swift decisions".

koh tsu koon gerakan agm 2011 1 She added that if Koh ( left ) remained in his post, the leadership will be used to attack and bog down Gerakan candidates in the coming general election.

Tan also deflected claims about infighting within the party , hampering its preparation for the general election.

"Don't see something negative as something bad, it can be a turning point for something positive.

"We are just asking him to make a decision... I cannot topple him, I don't like to topple people."

Koh: Tan shares blame

Before the press conference, reporters showed Koh the written copy of Tan's speech and was asked to respond.

Koh said Tan cannot escape the fact the party was partly responsible for the its fortune because it's leadership was one of collective responsibility.

gerakan wanita delagates agm 2011 "The party leadership is a collective leadership, she is in the Central Working Committee (CWC)..."

He added that the notion that the leadership was weak was merely a matter of perception.

"My perception is that especially in present circumstances, the views are very mixed, don't listen to negative views only."

When told about this, Tan concurred that she is collectively responsible, but said she essential that they "look at themselves in the mirror".

tan lian hoe gerakan wanita chief agm 2011 3 Gerakan deputy president Chang Ko Youn ( second from right ) who was with Tan for the press conference said he would reserve his comments.

"Let the delegates decide in the conferences in these two days, then we will leave it up to the wisdom of the leadership to decide."

Chang also brushed aside the concerns of dissenting voices as represented by a senior leader such as Tan.

"We are one of the most democratic of parties, we don't issue gag orders like PAS, PKR or the DAP."