Saturday, March 03, 2012

'Half brothers' MCA & Gerakan, & sons & daughter of Penang

Stanley Koh wrote an interesting article on MCA-Gerakan ties: Vintage soap opera in Free Malaysia Today. He knows what he’s talking about as he was a former head of the MCA research unit.

I won’t repeat his succinct story telling about the two 'half brothers', namely MCA and Gerakan (or at least Lim Chong Eu's UDP component of Gerakan).

Penangites witnessed the post-1969 political soap opera in my state when an already much displaced MCA attempted to steal its way back into its old niche by backstabbing and sabotaging its 'half brother' and also headhunting Gerakan frogs.

Some years later, around or after 1975, the MCA struggle to get on top of Gerakan was headed or strategized by Lim Kean Siew, a Penang political (socialist) icon in the early 60's. Lim Kean Siew, like Dr Tan Chee Khoon, was from the Malayan Labour Party. Due to the Labour Party's boycott of the general elections in 1969, it effectively self-extinguished its political existence. Lim then joined MCA in 1975.

When MCA failed in its coup d’état (to seize power from Gerakan, it seems, through BN approved 3-party contested state elections), the newspapers reported Lim laughingly acknowledged he was outfoxed by a more cunning foe.

Lim Kean Siew came from a distinguished Penang family of lawyers. His sister is the very distinguished Datuk Lim PG (Phaik Gan), a sweetheart who was Malaysia's Ambassador to the UN, union champion, director of the KL Regional Centre for Arbitration, feminist and, in many Penangites' opinion, should have been appointed Yang DiPertua Negeri of Penang, but alas, its too late now as she's in her 80's. Read the Bar Council brief of her
here.

Back to Lim Kean Siew - he was not only a brilliant lawyer and committed socialist as many of his colleagues saw him - read the Bar Council's eulogy of him
here - but my uncle said he was a fantastic fiery orator, in both English and Penang Hokkien. Sadly, this Malaysian socialist giant and political icon passed away in 2007.

By gargantuan contrast, Koh Tsu Koon was a pathetically poor choice to be leader of Gerakan as he wasn’t made of steel like Lim Chong Eu or even Lim Keng Yaik. Koh was plain too soft, too passive and always giving in to UMNO or, if I wish to be kind, too much of a gentleman, which in fact (and to be fair to him) wasn’t far from the truth.

But in Stanley Koh's most informative piece, which did mention UMNO’s role in the relationship of the two parties, I personally feel Stanley was not direct or forceful enough to point out that it was UMNO’s strategy to play the game of ‘divide & conquer’ by deliberately keeping Gerakan and MCA apart.

Hmmm, I wonder whether the late Lim Kean Siew was in fact referring to UMNO (and its behind-the-scene intervention to ensure Gerakan came up tops) as the cunning foe who outfoxed Penang MCA.

No doubt MCA was a pure capitalist creature while there were, at that time, shades of socialism in Gerakan (inherited from its Labour Party genes), and the latter had members who were not Chinese, it would not have been inconceivable for the two to merge into one stronger multiracial entity, to fend off a rapacious UMNO. It also suited UMNO to promote a Gerakan with a weak leader like Koh TK who always gave in to UMNO – the UMNO DCM was effectively the power in the state.

My family, relatives and neighbours once loved Gerakan, mainly because of Lim Chong Eu, but its current version leaves much to be desired. Thus on 08 March 2008, Penangites did what they did in May 1969 - they consigned the state ruling party, Koh's Gerakan and also its 'half brother' MCA, to the rubbish tip as they did to Wong Pow Nee's MCA some 40 years earlier. Thus it’s only fair and proper that Gerakan now kindly considers itself as extinct and allows Penangites the opportunity to once again enjoy a fresh new administration.

However, I recall from my earlier days in Penang that there was a protégé of Lim Chong Eu by the name of Khor Gark Kim. I knew of him only because he was a local Ayer Itam village bloke who rose like a lotus from the muddy waters of his village origins and circumstances. After Gark Kim became a teacher, his brother operated a tailor shop in the village.

I think Gark Kim studied at Chung Ling and then graduated from UM. He became a science teacher and had a reputation in the village as a hardworking man. My uncle, who knew him and his lovely wife rather well, mentioned that Gark Kim in his younger days was like Lim Kean Siew, rather passionate in socialism, thus I was surprised when he became a politician in a BN-ised Gerakan, by then a capitalistic entity like MCA. Maybe a whiff of Gerakan’s Labour Party genes had beckoned to his ideological core?

Apparently Khor’s political career grew from strength to fantabulous strength, where his party status and rank shot up in meteorite fashion for him to become, at one time, a Gerakan strongman next only to Dr Lim Chong Eu in the Penang line of power.

Once in the village, I saw him and his wife driving by in a chauffeured (Penang State) Mercedes. What an outcome for a village bloke who rose from his job as a humble school teacher to become a state exco member and the heir apparent to CM Lim Chong Eu.

Everyone naturally expected him to succeed Dr Lim as CM of Penang, but alas, it was not his mialee (fate, karma, kismet) to be so. As a result of internal Gerakan rivalry, he was ousted from Gerakan's upper echelon. There was bad blood between Khor and some current Gerakan pollies.

Soon after that he faded from the headlines and the minds of most Ayer Itam people, but just before the 08 March 2008 general elections, I was rather intrigued to see The Star Online photo showing him chit-chatting with the 2008 crop of DAP pollies for both the state and federal elections, which made me wonder what was going on?


Khor Gark Kim, 2nd from right - Star photo

I wonder whether he advised the DAP candidates on campaign strategy, perhaps as a form of extracting some long overdue retribution, wakakaka.

And I wonder again, just how Gerakan in Penang would have turned out if Khor Gark Kim had become CM of Penang?

26 comments:

  1. BREAKING NEWS!

    13 GE postponed indefinitely.

    DAP, PKR and PAS banned. Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan State Govts sacked.

    Ridhuan Tee appointed the new Penang CM. Hassan Ali the new Selangor MB

    Buttercup jumping up with joy from the toilet bowl upon hearing this news, leaving a trail of human dung from his backside out into the streets. wakakaka

    ReplyDelete
  2. hi Ktemoc is teaching us....forget the present....remember the past...and Gerakan is the best for Penang.
    No wonder such teachers are sacked and told to get lost.
    Buttercup's cup is busy in Thailand...with a look-a-like Anwar...for sodomy 3.
    Don't enjoy sex. UMNO b leaders will use that against you.....as sex more sinful that stealing...billions.
    You believe that...join Ktee and Buttercup.

    ReplyDelete
  3. PG Lim is my Grand Aunt...hahaha..that's all I will say without revealing who I am..

    She's still a formidable person in today, with a brilliant mind. A life-long Socialist, she once stood for MP as a Labour Party candidate back in the 1960's.
    For most of her life, she was political, without being a politician.
    Its a tribute to the broad-mindedness of the early Alliance and BN leaders that they were willing to tap into her considerable intellect and capability, even though she would never be an Alliance or BN supporter.
    There is, of course, a ceiling to such considerations, and she would never be considered for any high profile position.

    Khor Gark Kim fell on his own sword in Gerakan Team A vs. Team B infighting, flirted with Parti Bersatu Sabah (in Penang ...kakakahaka) and faded into oblivion...

    Me...I'm not a politician...but I support Pakatan Rakyat to be the next Government of Malaysia...
    Parti Keadilan Rakyat PKR, by extension, its Ketua Umum...wakakakaka...

    ReplyDelete
  4. In case readers do not know....PG Lim is a lawyer...who is 10 times more smarter than all those UMNO b balls carriers in Gerakan or MCA put together.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Smart ones not important..especially if you are a lady.
    It's balls carrying techniques to get rich that counts.
    It's an art for very thick skin scums...with no principles in life.
    And all those who supports MCA and Gerakan like Ktemoc are racists..."Race first...Malaysian second"....and are willing to be second class citizens to UMNO b Malays....all for the sake of getting rich..fooling their race too...with UMNO b help by giving temples and schools as baits to get Malaysian Chinese votes.
    I wonder why Ktemoc never talk about this at all.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The late Lim Cheng Poh is a prominent lawyer from Penang whose children are all lawyers with Cynthia Lim...who now lives in HongKong..my dear old friend.
    Lim Cheng Poh was the man who wrote the Copyright Laws or the Government...and together...we ripped the prosecution apart....suing 7 so call music copycats.....freeing all...proving the Copyright laws he wrote was flawed and he respected me like hell.
    Imagine Lim fought for the poor innocent ones.....and police were after me....speaking to 600 guests at Chinese Assembly...and Lim shut their mouths with laws quoted....making the police steeping aside....hahahahahaha
    Want to talk grandfather stories..Ktemoc?....tell us your life achievements before you open your big mouth again on Anwar.
    All you know is politicians and politics...using one side to do your dirty selfish..conceited boloney work.
    Do you know laws?....Criminal...Compensation....Corporate...and Divorce laws to name a few.
    Who is the fool....you or me..kapochi?{busy-body}

    ReplyDelete
  7. Susan Loone needn't ban ppl just for racism. Shooting off the mouth without engaging brains and making wild anwarista-ish accusations would be perfectly good reasons

    ReplyDelete
  8. yea ka?
    wa Ktee..you know Susan so well.
    Soon your blog will be like hers.
    There I told you..Ktemoc is a kapochi...something we used to say women are...but Ktemoc is already famous for that...and the only commentator he wants to expose is monsterball....because monsterball does not carry his balls like Buttercup.
    Others are mild insults he gives.
    Ktemoc said he has plenty to expose me.
    I challenged and call him a liar..if he does not do it.
    So far..he has not...and when a liar like him speaks...we enjoy as much as we can and treat him a tong sampah blogger...like we treat so many BN ikan bilis..toothless and no sting.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Notice... I asked him ..does he know laws...and out come..change the subject.
    I expect him to say...."Monster lets talk law"....no one word....NOTHING.
    I asked him to talk LOVE....NOTHING too.
    How well educated you think Ktemoc is?

    ReplyDelete
  10. OK la his blog...he can have the last say...who cares....dull..duller and dullest blog it has become.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What Ktemoc is saying is that monsterball is worst than Susan and him..in character..principles in like and a shameless fella.
    That's all..that's what he is saying.
    He needs to learn better professional fishing techniques.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oi monster, if KT's blog is dull or dullest, why are you here ? Why keep on coming here ?

    Couldn't resist? hahahah.

    Prove to us you meant what you said that this blog is dead and dull by not coming to visit, starting from today, OK ?

    And btw, where's your buddy bruno? Left you high and dry ? See, even your buddy could desert you if you persist in labelling him 'selfish', hehehe.

    Aiya, like tokio_rain said, go take your medicine. Long overdue. Bye.

    ReplyDelete
  13. someone said: "I have some jewellery, Susan, you can have it" wakakaka

    ReplyDelete
  14. Is monsterball really banned from Susan Loone's blog?

    Ktemoc's Pinnochio moment......


    http://sloone.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/anti-lynas-fracas-police-reveal-29-photos-of-witnesses/

    Any comments Ktemoc ?

    ReplyDelete
  15. "someone said: "I have some jewellery, Susan, you can have it" wakakaka"

    Oh uh.....the cat is out of the bag, hahaha. Someone thinks to bribe with some blink blink to avoid being banned ? Or.....!?

    Aiyo, not all women are cheap lah. Only certain type....like slightly used sweet-young-things, hehehe.

    ReplyDelete
  16. now now,to be fair, he didn't offer any jewellery to be unbanned - the offer was not related to the ban but that's another story wakakaka

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a kapochi ktee has become...becoming a man keep digging and digging into my private affairs..hoping I will tell more details....making me quarrel with Susan.
    I have never seen a Malaysian Chinese kapochi blog owner.
    I have been accused ..exposed by few UMNO b members ..8 years ago...all nonsense.
    I have challenged Ktemoc to REVEAL more...or be known as a LIAR.
    And so he is...a LIAR...and a kapochi.
    Such a person is like typical BN politicians...accusing and proven wrong....yet keep on accusing.
    We all know Ktemoc have a very thick skin face too.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Monsterball,
    As far as I know, you are not banned from Susan's blog.
    She does moderate out comments from people now and then.
    Your comments may have been excluded more often than others, hahaha - but I don't think she actually banned you.
    I was a regular on Susan's blog once, before it went into hibernation - I should know.

    Ktemoc spinning..

    ReplyDelete
  19. nice to console your mate, but he was indeed banned for RACISM. Ask him

    ReplyDelete
  20. Itu anwarista bola satu biji macam tuan dia.....such a liar lah, hehe, kena banned tetapi cakap tarak !

    NO wonder their defective defacto leader attracts these types of lying fanatics.....birds of the same feathers....they recognized each other.

    LGE for PM ! Nizar for DPM ! or vice-versa hehehe. Anwar for Minister of Islamic Affairs ( err..is there such a position? anyway, PR could always create one mah).

    ReplyDelete
  21. No need to ask this or that.
    Half story you know....Susan apologized you don't know.
    Baby....I am not one bit ashamed to be banned by Susan and was called back.
    I am HOLDING BACK ..all the details are none of his bloody business.
    It's private.
    He is trying very hard to make me say my private feelings of Susan...which has always been cordial and friendly..nothing else.
    Ktemoc's KAPOCHI behavior shame men.
    Baby...let him have the last say.
    It does not bother me...if he thinks he is so smart to prove I am banned there or anywhere.
    He has released all details put out by commentator and allow a copy of my nick...to confuse readers.
    Now tell me...what kind of a blog owner do that?
    He ca delete some of my comments..but not copy of my nick.
    He said he is waiting for his first RM300 commission.
    How can he...when he must have registered with false address and informations.
    Every blog owner is paid or rewarded by Internet or goggles for bringing in hits...from a minimum hits perv month.
    Maybe after 10 years..score only 1.6 million...not qualified?
    He is very cunning.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Aiyo, sudah kena banned ! Wah, got banned from sweet Susan ah?! What about other blogs? heheheh

    Just admit all lah...why talk about HOLDING BACK and shouting 'its private' ???

    Where monster bola can hold back one....he's born with a shooting mouth. The day he holds back he will implode lah..hehe, UNLESS revealing all will bring him great shame.

    This forced holding back must be causing great pain in his big balls, so he must lash out lah, hhehheh....see how wildly he lashed out, gone berserk. Take your medicine, Ball.

    ReplyDelete
  23. "Take your medicine Ball"...said a young fut over and over again.
    Why can't they have other ideas?
    hi IDIOT everyone including YOU take medicine one way or another.
    You must be taking medicine everyday....to talk like that.
    I take bird nest soup...health tonic...as medicine.
    Mahathir also take bird nest soup everyday.
    The differences is..I buy them with my own money.
    He buys EVERYTHING with stolen money from us..including yours...sontoloyo.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Take somemore bird's saliva lah everyday.....ughhh. That's why you and that dogtor sudah nyanyok, hehehe. Both talking nonsense, both talking c*ck, both talk non stop, both old but tak malu punya, both have big big ego, both awaits hell's punishment, hehehe.

    ReplyDelete
  25. The NUT is talking.
    Soon to be caught and put into mental hospital.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Khor Gark Kim taught mathematics, not Science, in Penang Free School.

    ReplyDelete