Gerakan acting president Koh Tsu Koon today confirmed that he would be contesting the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat in Penang.

In the last general election, Koh contested Penang’s Tanjung Bunga state seat. This time around he has decided to make the move to the federal level following his elevation in the party hierarchy.

Barring an upset at Batu Kawan, his victory there would ensure him a place in the cabinet. He will be facing a challenge from DAP’s P Ramasamy (pix) who is making his debut in electoral politics.

p ramasamy The Gerakan list of candidates was announced this afternoon at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

Batu Kawan has 47,378 voters, comprising 55.57 percent Chinese, 20.4 percent Malays, 23.66 percent Indians and 0.37 percent other races.

Gerakan’s Batu Kawan incumbent member of parliament Huan Cheng Guan will now contest the Bukit Tambun state seat in Penang, replacing incumbent assemblyperson Lai Chiew Hock who was dropped from the Gerakan list of candidates.

Putting to rest speculation that Gerakan secretary-general and Information Deputy Minister Chia Kwang Chye was among the candidates for the Penang’s chief minister post following Koh’s parliamentary ambition, it was announced that Chia would defend his Bukit Bendera (Penang) parliamentary seat instead of vying for a state seat.

With Chia eliminated, the likely frontrunners for the chief minister post will now be party's vice-president Teng Hock Nan and dark horse Lee Kah Choon - both of whom are contesting state seats.

Eleven newcomers

While Gerakan president Lim Keng Yaik has resigned, the others who were dropped as parliamentary candidates were Ng Lip Yong (Batu, Kuala Lumpur) and Tan Kee Kwong (Segambut, Kuala Lumpur). Lim’s son, Lim Si Pin, will be contesting at Batu.

gerakan 2008 parliament seat candidates Former Gerakan deputy-president and Simpang Renggam incumbent MP Kerk Choo Ting was also among those not on the list. His place is taken by newcomer Liang Teck Meng.

Meanwhile, apart from Lai, incumbent state assemblypersons who were not retained were Yap Soo Sun (Teratai, Selangor), Cheung Khai Yan (Derga, Kedah), Chua Peng Song (Bachang, Melaka), Toh Kin Woon (Machang Bubuk, Penang), and Ng Chii Fa (Aulong, Perak).

Like Koh, former Jalong (Perak) state assemblyperson Chang Ko Youn will also be seeking entry to the federal level by contesting ex-party president Lim’s parliamentary seat of Beruas also in Perak.

Former Jelutong (Penang) MP and Health Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Lee Kah Choon will contest a state seat by vying for Machang Bubuk.

koh tsu koon wawasan university 220906 talk Koh said of the 42 parliamentary and state seats being contested by Gerakan, eleven seats are being contested by new faces including newcomer Lau Hoi Keong who will contest for the DAP parliamentary stronghold of Kepong in Kuala Lumpur.

Six ‘old faces’ are vying for places in new seats whereas twenty-five Gerakan incumbents will stay put and defend their forts come polling day on March 8.

Commenting on those who did not make the cut, Koh said the party had done the best that it could in terms of choosing the best candidates for the constituencies allocated to it as a Barisan Nasional component party.

No Indians, Malays

"We have gone through a very careful process of selection. Of course, there are many qualified candidates available. But for some who are qualified and their location, there are no seats for us," said Koh .

gerakan 2008 state seat candidates This, he claimed, explained the fact why Gerakan’s candidate list had no Indians or Malays.

"We have tried our very best to include non-Chinese candidates. However, as I have said, there are places where we have good candidates but we don’t have seats," he said, adding Gombak was a good example of an active Indian-based Gerakan division but the constituency had not been allocated to the party to contest.

"In areas where there are seats, we have choose from among many candidates and we have to consider many factors. Of course, this is as best as we can choose. I’m sure there may be other candidates we are cultivating who are suitable for the future," said Koh.

As for the ‘old-timers’ who are not candidates this time around, Koh said the party would like to ‘express its appreciation and gratitude’ to those who served at the federal or state level.

"They have done their very best, but it’s time for younger leaders to now continue their good work and their struggle for a united, prosperous, fair and just Malaysian society," he said, citing the example of Kerk Choo Ting and Gerakan Federal Territory chief Tan Kwee Kwong.

Koh refused to state how many seats it was targeting to win during this general election, even in Penang where it expects a tough fight against DAP.