Party rejects Koh’s offer to resign

March 11(New Straits Times) -- KUALA LUMPUR: Acting Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said last Saturday’s election results were a lesson for the Gerakan and the Barisan Nasional.

“I humbly accept the results and will analyse the party’s strengths and weaknesses. We will do some soul searching and decide what to do next.”

Koh said he took responsibility for the party’s defeat.

“As mentioned before, I will offer my resignation to the central committee,” he said yesterday before attending the party’s central committee meeting here.

However, he said the final decision will be with the central committee.
On positions in the cabinet, Koh said they will not be making any demands and will accept whatever Prime Minster Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi offered them.

At 10.30pm, party secretary-general Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye said the central committee had voted unanimously to reject Koh’s offer to resign.

He said no one person should take the blame for what happened, adding that a closed-door meeting of all the leaders in the party would be held later to decide on the next course of action to strengthen the party.