Press Conference Statement (3) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Penang on Tuesday, 8th May 1990 at 12 noon
Gerakan leaders giving Chong Eu an ultimatum not to interfere with the party’s candidate list as happened in last general elections, or he would have to step down as Penang Chief Minister
The announcement by the Gerakan Vice President, Datuk Alex Lee, on Sunday that the Gerakan Central Committee at its meeting on April 29 had designated Dr. Koh Tsu Koon and Dr. Goh Cheng Teik as the successors to Dr. Lim Chong Eu as Penang Chief Minister and nominated both of them to contest for state seats in Penang is significant.
This means that when the Gerakan President, Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, announced in February that Dr. Koh and Dr. Goh have been designated successors to Chong Eu, it was purely a decision by Keng Yaik in his attempt to nudge Chong Eu to step down as Chief Minister or be reduced to a mere figurehead.
Datuk Lee said Gerakan was agreeable to Dr. Lim remaining as Chief Minister as long as he wanted but he must accept the list of candidates suggested by the Central Committee.
This is clearly an ultimatum to Chong Eu not to interfere with the party’s candidates list as he did in the last general elections, or he would have to step down as Penang Chief Minister.
The Gerakan leadership cannot dislodge Chong Eu, because Chong Eu had rallied behind him the support of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, and the Education Minister, Anwar Ibrahim. However, Gerakan will only tolerate Chong Eu and let him continue as Penang Chief Minister if he is reduced to a figurehead.