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Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Penangites want to trade off Koh Tsu Koon!

Beginning of this year I blogged on:
(1)
Koh Tsu Koon should go (1)
(2)
Koh Tsu Koon should go (2)
(3)
Koh Tsu Koon should go (3)
(4)
Koh TK willing captive of UMNO?

Yes, he's not exactly my favourite person ;-)

I remarked that Koh TK’s greatest contribution to Penangites had been his regular demonstrations of his world-famous hands-wringing sandiwara.

Some readers were more sympathetic to him, stating that Koh faced inpossible odds like a dominant and strangulating UMNO, a treacherous MCA and anti-social behaviour Penangites.

I refused to accept those true but irrelevant points to excuse Koh, for the reason Koh had chosen to be the Chief Minister. Koh cannot push and put himself to be a State's leader yet claim immunity from public criticisms because the politics in Penang are difficult or that his hands have been tied behind his back by UMNO or he's been sabotaged by a treacherous MCA.

Tough! He needs to wheel and deal to get on top. Sure, everyone knows UMNO has been pressing the button but don’t forget, Koh has made himself a willing captive. If so, then he needs to get the best out of the worst, but not to merely capitulate in order to keep his premiership.

Because of his desire to be their CM, Penangites have a right to bash Koh!


But Koh being Koh just cannot help himself. Despite Khairy Jamaluddin attacking the Chinese community and his UMNO Youth wanting Koh’s position, Koh rushed pell-mell forward to defend Khairy when the latter was questioned on his bloody nerve in ordering MBs and CM around – see my posting Penang's CM Koh KT's testimony for Khairy J

So, was Khairy grateful? The young UMNO leader then accused the predominantly-Chinese Gerakan state government of marginalising the minority Malays in Penang island, to the extent of driving them to move to the mainland – to Butterworth and Sungai Petani.

And in the face of the wild irresponsible attacks, all Koh did was to mumble for proof. It had to take Lim Keng Yaik to come to Koh's rescue with a counter-attack on Khairy. Lim at least had the guts to call Khairy a 'low standard opportunist', as blogged in Dr Lim KY: "Hang Putih's a low standard opportunist".

Recall when Hishamuddin went for his throat as blogged in Penang CM's post - bleating lamb and strutting roosters, again Koh chose to apple-polish Hishamuddin as mentioned in The Brilliance of Hishamuddin Tun Hussein

Today a Malaysiakini reader
wrote the following:


***
If we compare the leadership quality of Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon and MCA’s Ong Tee Keat, I begin to worry for Koh who will soon be president of Gerakan.

The Umno Youth in Penang, plus one Khairy Jamaluddin - son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - are all ‘publicly’ firing one shot after another directly hitting Koh, and yet Koh dares not rebut publicly.

From the Umno division AGM’s resolutions to the banners hanging in front of Koh, insulting him from head to toe, Koh remained and acted like a silence lamb. Is this the quality of a future Gerakan chief?

One the other hand, (MCA vice-president) Ong Tee Keat is keeping to his principles and daringly rebut and fired back every shot, hitting at (Umno Youth chief) Hishammuddin Hussein Ong without showing any sign of retreat, just because he believes he has done nothing wrong by helping to reveal the possible missing of funds allocated to two Chinese schools in Muar. Ong shows the quality of an excellent leader who dares to stand by his principles and couldn’t care less about his political future.

Honestly, Ong’s head might be chopped off because of this episode, but he gained thunderous applause from people from all walks of life for many years to come. On the other hand, Koh’s performance did not just disappoint his own Gerakan members, but we as ordinary people, are also having the view that Gerakan’s future will be very bright under Koh’s leadership.

We could understand it is wiser to ignore - sometimes - other people’s once-a-while provocation. But, to remain ‘cool’ and act like ‘nothing happened’ after receiving insults after insults, slaps after slaps, we could only see that Koh is a weak leader who will bring very little glory to Gerakan.

We are not stupid and we are watching closely. We shall tell these politicians that we, the voters, will not forget what you did this time. When the right time comes, don’t be surprise we will show you the cold shoulder.
***

The silent lamb receiving insults after insults, slaps after slaps! Well, that's Koh TK for you!

It's hard for me, a Penangite to say this of him, also a Penangite, but can we trade him for someone from another state?

2 comments:

  1. I'd rather have a major BN-based party there than opposition. Why? Easier to get funding. DAP can only yap-yap. All talk no action.

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  2. there is no point stirring up people's emotions without actually solving the problem. the approach is not important, but the outcome is. what is the point making noise and argueing over the press but not finding way to solve problem? i guess koh is not an expressive person. but he handle problems rationally. i can see that he has managed to overcome many major problems without boasting around. unlike some mca leaders who tell the whole world what they did. y do u need to boast when u r just fullfiling your responsibilities? and many times what the mca people claimed may not even be true. learn from koh, a down to earth leader.

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