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Wednesday 6 October 2010

Gerakan rejects Keng Yaik’s resignation

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said tonight the party will not accept the resignation of its adviser Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik.

After more than two hours of discussion at the Gerakan headquarters, the Central Working Committee (CWC) chaired by Koh, had decided not to accept Lim’s resignation, tendered yesterday.

“After an in-depth discussion, for the sake of party unity, Gerakan’s Central Working Committee will not accept the resignation letter by the party’s adviser and plead him to reconsider,” he told reporters after the meeting ended at about 10pm.

However, he did not elaborate on how the party would persuade Lim to change his mind.

Koh had moved into damage control mode earlier today, claiming that Lim’s sudden resignation could have been due to a mere “misunderstanding”.

The embattled president defended his handling of the ongoing crisis in Gerakan’s stronghold of Penang, pointing out that Lim himself had given him the impression that he would have a free hand in the matter.

This, he claimed, was the very reason why he had not sought the veteran leader’s advice.

Lim had dropped a bombshell on the party yesterday with his sudden announcement during a press conference after the Wawasan Open University convocation ceremony that he would quit his post as adviser.

In explaining his shocking decision, the Cabinet veteran expressed disappointment in the leadership of his former protege and accused Koh of refusing to get involved in conflicts for fear of offending others.

Koh acknowledged tonight that the party had received Lim’s resignation after 4pm yesterday.

However, Lim firmly asserted earlier today that the die had been cast over his resignation as Gerakan adviser and no amount of cajolling will persuade him to retract his decision because the party is “going to the dogs”.

However, it is likely that the party’s efforts would be futile for Dr Lim told The Malaysian Insider today that he was no longer interested in what the Gerakan leadership had to say.

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