If Gerakan does not fare better than its previous result in the next 14th general election, Mah Siew Keong said he would step down.

 

“I will resign if Gerakan does not improve on the 2013 general election's result.”

 

"(But) I do not wish to have to resign, I do not wish to be a short term president.

 

"So I am only committed to choosing the best candidate (for GE14)," he said during his policy address at the Gerakan AGM in Shah Alam, Selangor today.

 

He said Gerakan will start to select 45 most winnable MP and state candidates regardless of their factions, and get the matter settled by the end of next year. 

Gerakan's electoral fortunes have been on a downhill slide since it lost control of its stronghold Penang in the landmark 2008 general election.

"Let's get Instead of just waiting (till) before the elections, and it always create so much trouble."

'Stop infighting'

He called for the party to "the infighting over with it" and concentrate on picking the candidates early, instead of waiting till just before the elections when "it always creates so much trouble".

"We want to give those winnable candidates the biggest chance to win, no matter from faction A or B. The most important is to serve the people.

"We do not care if it's the faction from Chang Ko Youn, Koh Tsu Koon, Mah Siew Keong, the most important is, it's the best candidate," he said, the huge applause.

Mah defeated Teng Chang Yeow at the last party elections last year and took over the presidency from acting president Chang Ko Youn.

Chang ( left ) took over when long-serving former president Koh finally stepped down over Gerakan's dwindling fortunes.

In the last general election, the party took a heavy beating winning only 1 parliamentary seat and three state seats.

Mah's razor-thin win in the subsequent Teluk Intan by-election made a small step in redeeming the party.