DESPITE winning the Gerakan deputy president post, Datuk Chang Ko Youn is not going to rest on his laurels and has vowed to help the party regain the rakyat’s confidence.

 

He described his new role in the party as a huge responsibility and said the next few years were crucial for him to prove his capability to party members.

 

“I can sense what is expected from me. I need to perform as good, if not better then our past president (Tan Sri Dr Lim Keng Yaik),” he said in a recent interview.

 

Describing Keng Yaik as a towering figure in the party, Chang said his biggest task was to emulate the past president’s success in binding members solidly together.

 

He said it would not be easy for him this time in view of continuous attempts by Pakatan Rakyat to lure Gerakan members to crossover.

 

Gerakan members, according to Chang, had become easy prey for the Opposition because the party political ideologies were akin to those championed by Pakatan Rakyat such as maintaining a multi-racial policy in its line-up, social democracy as well as calling for the abolition of the Internal Security Act.

 

He ,however, expressed relief that sentiments among Gerakan grassroots members to leave BN has cooled off.

 

Chang said the majority of party members have come to their senses after he and party president Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon successfully ironed out several issues during a series of meetings across the country.

 

“Principally, they agreed with us that leaving BN is something emotional rather than a rational thing to do.

 

“Members also agreed that Gerakan still have a meaningful role to play within BN,” added Chang who is also Perak Gerakan chairman.

 

The turn of events, he said, came about after both Koh and him pledged to members that Gerakan would continue to be a main voice of the people.

 

Members were also assured that their unhappiness over any matter would be channeled directly to the BN leadership.

 

“They are happy that Gerakan’s call for renewals is showing encouraging signs.

 

“This is especially so in getting BN leaders to meet regularly, the setting up of the different task forces to rebrand BN and plans to introduce the Race Relations Act,” he added.

 

On his plans to consolidate the party, Chang said this would include boosting the morale of members after the party's huge losses during the March general election.

 

His other mission is to make Gerakan a truly multi-racial political party.

 

“We want to recruit more members particularly the Malays,” said the 51-year-old who joined Gerakan in 1985.

 

He said the party leadership has agreed to appoint Dr Asharuddin Ahmad as one of the central committee member and entrusted him with bringing in more Malay members.

 

At state level, he said, a directive has been issued for each state to identify and woo capable Malays.

 

The party is also on a recruitment drive to attract more Indians, he said.

 

Chang revealed that at present, Indians make up about 15 percent of total party members.