Reappointed as Penang BN chief despite resigning from the post after the 13th general election, state Gerakan chief Teng Chang Yeow vows to make the coalition a responsible and effective opposition.

He said he will be proposing a meeting with all component party members from MCA, MIC and Umno by either by the month’s end or early next month to discuss the coalition's plans for the state.

This is in view of the various component parties having installed their new leadership after their respective internal party elections last year.

Teng ( left ) is already looking at the 14th general election, not due until 2018, but said now he has a longer time frame to prepare unlike the first time he was appointed the state BN chief in 2012.

"When I was first appointed, I only had slightly one year and a few months before the general election came on us in May last year," he told Malaysiakini .

He dismissed allegations that the BN had remained too quiet post-GE, and not raising issues or performing it's role as a good opposition against the Pakatan Rakyat government led by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

"Being quiet does not mean we are not working. We have not stopped working even after the GE," Teng, who is former Gerakan secretary-general, claimed.

How to be effective opposition

"We want to be an effective opposition unlike Pakatan at the federal government that only wants to oppose for the sake of opposing," he added.

"When we oppose, we want to have proof, relevant documents and enough information so we need to do a lot of research and work on the ground for this," he stressed.

Teng said the coalition’s main focus is still to regain the confidence of Penangites despite losing badly in the May polls.

Asked if this was possible, Teng admitted it was a big challenge to win back the hearts and minds of Penangites, but said it was not impossible.

He urged BN members and supporters to think positively as nothing in this world is permanent.

"Don't think negatively as negative thoughts cannot bring about positive outcomes," he quipped.

In last year's polls, Gerakan, MCA and MIC were decimated without victory in all the seats they contested, while Umno managed to win 10, one less than in the 2008 polls, which saw Pakatan capture Penang.

Pledge to support partners

Teng himself, who contested the Bukit Tengah state seat but lost to PKR lawyer Ong Chin Wen, resulting in his resignation as state BN chief, to take responsibility for the coalition's poor performance.

Having no voice in the state legislative assembly, Gerakan, MCA and MIC have no choice but to work closely with Umno assemblypersons to raise their issues in the House.

"We will back them and provide them with the relevant information," Teng, the former Padang Kota assemblyperson said.

"We have a lot of issues to discuss and to raise and we need the assemblymen to play their role by raising them in the House," he added.

Baljit Singh ( left ), the party’s legal and human rights bureau chief,  congratulated Teng on his appointment.

“We hope with the appointment, BN in Penang will become a strong Opposition. We hope we can all work together for the same goals.

 

"The enemy is outside of the party and outside of BN. It is not within the party or BN."

Teng was reappointed on Thursday, with Gerakan president Mah Siew Kong issuing the announcement in Kuala Lumpur.

Mah said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razakl picked Teng although Gerakan had provided a few names for the post.

He had expressed hope that under Teng’s renewed leadership, BN Penang will be a more effective opposition and better understand the aspirations of Penangites as well as to improve on past shortcomings.