Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon will likely take up a cabinet post after the coming general election to better represent the party's interests, suggested retiring party veteran Dr Toh Kin Woon.

Koh, who has been acting president since April after the resignation of Gerakan leader Dr Lim Keng Yaik, is widely speculated to relinquish his chief ministership post in Penang to join the federal government.

Lim, the only Gerakan representative in the cabinet, is expected to continue helming his Ministry of Energy, Water and Telecommunications until the general election.

"I think he (Koh) feels that he would be better able to discharge his duties as national president by being in the centre (the federal government), by being a member of the cabinet and being a member of the top-most decision-making body within the country," said Toh in an interview with Malaysiakini .

"He would be better able to explain national policy to party members. He thinks he would better represent the party by giving the input to the national decision-making body," he added.

Toh, 63, currently the state assemblyperson for Machang Bubuk, has been a party member since 1982. He told Malaysiakini that he would not be contesting in the next general elections.

An academic-turn-politician, Toh is a known critic on educational issues and one of the party's most vocal leaders in calling for moderation in government policies.

While professing that he is not part of the party's "inner circle", Toh predicted that the decision to announce Koh's next step, and more importantly the new Penang chief minister, would be made just before the general election after the ruling BN components have been consulted over the move.

"I think the views of other political parties also have to be sorted (out). It's not so easy from a practical point of view to say 'let's decide now'. Maybe the decision is 'let's leave it till to the eve of the general election'. I think by then, the indication would be very clear," he said.

Prior to becoming acting president, Koh has served as deputy president since 2005. The party election is expected to be held after the general elections where Koh is expected to be officially confirmed as party president.

Toh, however, did not comment on who is likely to succeed Koh as Penang chief minister.

Up to the opposition

Meanwhile, Toh commented that many Chinese voters might register protest votes in view of the sluggish economy, but did not indicate whether Gerakan would be severely affected.

In August, research organisation Merdeka Centre released a public survey which revealed that Chinese voters were the most dissatisfied with the economy.

"You see, elections are funny things. Certainly in our country it is. You may predict that the certain parties are going to take a beating, but the results are otherwise.

"(The BN has) organisation, the money, (it) controls the media, et cetera. I mean, for all the predictions, MCA and Gerakan will do worse. For sure, they will do worse because 2004 was just too good to be repeated.

"Certainly there are lot of issues for the opposition parties to exploit. Certainly there are a lot of things they can say against the ruling coalition. But whether the opposition can get their act together, (and) whether they can come together, is another big issue," he said.

On the economy, Toh said Malaysia was suffering under heavy competition from its regional neighbours, especially China and Vietnam, and blamed the lack of emphasis in research and development.

Toh, who is vice-chairperson of Gerakan's state liaison committee in charge of education, said the quality of tertiary education of the country has been slipping for years and this has serious consequences on the economy.

"The fact that (the government) has this master plan ... to develop top universities in the world maybe is indirectly saying that (it) recognises the problem. But whether they're doing it the right way ... I think ultimately the race-based (policies), they (government) are not able to depart from it radically," he lamented.

Q&A: Gerakan and MCA to do worse than 2004

Part 1:

Tough to change BN, says Gerakan leader

Q&A: Umno decides roles for BN components

Watch the 10-minute video here.