Gerakan has reminded the Pakatan Harapan government not to be too complacent as the people are now more daring and prepared to change the government compared to the past.

Its former president Mah Siew Keong said the political landscape had changed after the 14th general election which saw the people becoming more aware and sensitive of their rights.

“The people now will stand up to oppose if the government fails, they can change the government every five to 10 years so the role of the opposition is even more important than before and we are offering a check and balance so that the government will not betray the people’s mandate.

“Government leaders should walk the talk and stop making U-turns as the coalition is no longer in the opposition, stop behaving like the opposition, the popularity of PH (Harapan) also needs to be checked to ensure it does not deviate and adopt policies detrimental to the people,” he said when delivering his presidential policy speech at Gerakan’s 47th National Delegates’ Conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Apart from the check and balance, Gerakan, which has decided to leave the BN coalition in June, is in the process of strengthening the party in preparation of offering themselves as a political alternative to Harapan.

He said it was not an easy decision for the party to leave BN after sharing power for so many years but Gerakan wanted more freedom and strength to determine its own direction.

Meanwhile, in a media conference, Mah said Gerakan supported the proposal to form a Royal Commission to investigate the alleged irregularities involving 1MDB so that the true facts could be presented to the people.

Apart from that, he said among the resolutions tabled at the conference today was the proposal to limit the term of the division heads to only three terms.

“I hope the resolution is passed today, I know it is quite controversial as some are willing to allow calibre division leaders to go on for even 10 terms but we have studied and three terms is better,” he said.

Mah who is not defending his post said he was confident the party would rise again and the new Gerakan leadership elected today would put the party as among the major political powers in the country.

In GE14, Gerakan lost in all 11 parliamentary and 31 state seats it contested.

Gerakan’s Annual General Assembly and elections today involved 1,500 delegates representing 300,000 members nationwide.

The contest for Gerakan presidency sees a straight fight between vice-president Dominic Lau Hoe Chai and deputy Youth chief Andy Yong Kim Seng.

A straight fight is also due in the contest for deputy presidency, that is between Penang Gerakan chairman Oh Tong Keong and vice-president A Kohilan Pillay.

Eight candidates are contesting the posts of vice-president, namely Raja Sara Raja Petra, Baljit Singh, G Parameswaran, Syed Abdul Razak Syed Long Alsa, V Prabagaran, Khoo Shiaw Lee, Choong Vee Hing and Yap Yeen Ming.

Chew Teik Thye is facing Ooi Zhi Yi in the contest for Youth chief’s post, while there will be no contest in Wanita Gerakan as all top posts have been won uncontested.

- Bernama