KUALA LUMPUR: New Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau targets a return to Parliament for the party in the next general election.
He said the party would need new leaders to take it forward and remain relevant in the new political scene.
“We need to make sure our new line-up is ready for GE15 and GE16,” he said at a press conference at the Gerakan national delegates conference shortly after winning the presidency.
Dr Lau said he planned to groom new leaders by getting them more involved and becoming the faces of the party.
“We need to train more members to represent Gerakan, so you won’t see only me or the top leadership making statements on behalf of the party,” he said.
Dr Lau also called on party members to consolidate and move forward as a team.
“It is neither a win for me or a loss for Andy. It is a win for Gerakan.
“There’s no Team A or Team B.
“We only have one team and that is Team Gerakan,” said the new party leader.
Dr Lau secured 729 votes over his opponent Andy Yong, who got 445 votes.
Previously, he was a vice-president while Yong was the Gerakan Youth deputy chief.
The president’s post fell vacant after Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong resigned in June following Gerakan’s worst ever performance in the 14th General Election.
The party lost in all 11 parliamentary and 31 state seats it contested.
Penang Gerakan chairman Oh Tong Keong is the deputy president, receiving 845 votes to his opponent A. Kohilan Pillay’s 328.
The party also elected three new vice-presidents – Baljit Singh Jigiri Singh, David Choong and Koo Shiaw Lee.
Its women’s wing is now led by Janice Wong while Ooi Zhi Yi was elected as the Youth wing leader.
Both won the posts uncontested, taking over from predecessors Datuk Tan Lian Hoe and Tan Keng Liang.
The results were announced at a gala dinner at the end of the conference last night.
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