Et tu, Huan?

“They (some party leaders) say that I am making a lot of noise so it is better for me to leave…I am 99 per cent sure of leaving.”

Gerakan vice-president Huan Cheng Guan, announcing on 29 May 2009 his intention to quit the party within three weeks.

Huan said he was disappointed with the Gerakan leadership particularly Penang Gerakan chief Dr Teng Hock Nan. He was also unhappy with the appointment of branch coordinators in Machang Bubok. (Source: Gerakan V-P Huan plans to quit party, The New Straits Times, 30 May 2009)

Additionally, Huan told Kwong Wah Yit Poh that he was giving three weeks’ notice so that his supporters would also have time to consider if they would follow suit.

Subsequently, Gerakan issued a show cause letter to Huan for making statements that “tarnished” the party.

“The bulk of the members are from Permatang Pauh and Kepala Batas who are fed up with the state (party) leadership and are ready to move…(PKR adviser) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also asked me to join.”

Huan, revealing that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) had invited him to cross over to the opposition party with his supporters.

Earlier, Penang PKR chief Datuk Zahrain Hashim claimed that he had been in touch with Huan, and that Huan was interested in joining PKR together with around 1,000 Gerakan members. (Source: Huan and 1,000 Gerakan members to join PKR, says Zahrain, theSun, 3 June 2009)

“I would like to apologise to the party and the president as I am sometimes a bit too blunt. I did not mean to hurt anyone in the party and I will continue to serve the party and the people.”

Huan, three weeks after he said he would quit Gerakan.

The former Batu Kawan Member of Parliament (MP) claimed that he received over 1,000 text messages and phone calls asking him to stay in the party. (Source: Gerakan’s Huan sticks with party, The New Straits Times, 15 June 2009)

In the beginning of the year, S Manikavasagam from PKR made a similar U-turn. The Kapar MP announced his decision to quit PKR on 27 Dec 2008 but backpedalled after meeting Anwar and Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Waythamoorthy in January 2009.

Former MIC vice-president Datuk M Muthupalanippan didn’t say he would quit his party. But he did have a public change of heart as well about his party’s leadership. From accusing MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu of being the cause of the Indian Malaysian community’s problems, Muthupalanippan eventually declared on 8 June that Samy was the right person to lead the community.