1981 NDC
25. Members of the public who choose to join our movement are fully aware that there is no material benefit, nor any position, to be gained. We have often publicly stated in no uncertain terms that to be members of Gerakan, they are expected to make a lot of personal sacrifices, for the cause of our political beliefs, I have no doubt at all that the majority of our members, old and new, are prepared to dedicate themselves in bringing about Gerakan's ideals and objectives.
26. The Gerakan is a party with firm principles and definite objectives. Only those who completely subscribe to a Malaysian political philosophy and who are fully committed to the task of creating a fair and just society for all have been accepted into the party fold. The party in expanding its membership must be careful in sustaining its political integrity which is becoming the hallmark of the Gerakan. The Gerakan has no place for extremists, chauvinists and opportunists.
1982 NDC
- The strength of the Gerakan is dependant upon the discipline of each and every member. This is through strict adherence to the party’s objectives as dictated by the party’s constitution. Efforts will be spent in inculcating our membership with the ideals and objectives of the Party. The Party leadership has been liberal with its disciplinary actions. This does not mean that the Party leadership is weak and is incapable of administering disciplinary actions. With the unity of the Party in mind, the leadership has tried to solve problems by convincing all members concerned to put Party interest before self-interest. This unity of purpose has been the strength of the Gerakan in the past and will be the strength of the Gerakan in the future.
1984 NDC
19. As embodied in the very name of our party, GERAKAN was conceived as a political movement fighting for the democratic rights of our rakyat of all races. We have always been true to this basic commitment since our formation. To us, the struggle for national unity and social justice must in the final analysis be founded on the active democratic participation of the rakyat themselves. Parti GERAKAN is thus committed to defending the institution of democracy itself, and to championing the rights or our rakyat within a democratic framework. We are totally opposed to anyone group abusing the democratic rights accorded them in order to destroy the institution of democracy itself.
20. Another corner-stone of GERAKAN’s political philosophy is our commitment to a non-communal Malaysian approach to politics. We have always maintained that a multi-ethnic political party with representation from Malaysians of different backgrounds is the most viable approach in the long run towards the creation of a just and equitable society for all, irrespective of race. Now, more than ever, in the face of increasing racial polarization in our country, we in GERAKAN shall redouble our efforts to further propagate and disseminate our non-communal Malaysian political line to our rakyat.
21. Besides intensifying our political education programs, we shall also demonstrate our Malaysian line to the masses through concrete exemplary political practices. We shall be actively identifying the communities and social groups that are ready for our political approach. We shall embark on an active programne of dialogues and debates on the need for a Malaysian political line such as are practiced by GERAKAN. After 27 years of independence we are convinced that the time has come to inculcate in the rakyat the need to think and act as Malaysians.
22. GERAKAN therefore has a very important role to play, particularly in the decade of the 80’s. We have made a good start in the past four years with achievements on several fronts. These achievements were the realization of certain goals as the first phase of a long-term overall plan for the party formulated in 1980. The long-term overall plan is to build up GERAKAN as a genuine Malaysian party for all Malaysians.
1985 NDC
- It is to this ideology that we must all commit and dedicate ourselves. Only when we have such a commitment, will we have genuine unity among our party members. Only then will our level of political consciousness be raised to a high level. Only then will political opportunism be weeded out and the attempted building up of patron-client relationship or the indulgence in money politics within our party is stamped out.
In the effort of inculcating our membership with the party’s ideology, the maximum understanding and support from all leaders and members is indeed required. I therefore call upon all party leaders and members to work hard towards this grand common goal. Let us not deviate from these tasks by indulging in activities that can unnecessarily disrupt and unsettle the serious mood of the bulk of our party’s leaders and members.
- These and other serious research work will lay the foundation for our party’s stance and programs in politics, economics, education and culture. They can be further refined and sharpened, through continuous discussions and dialogs, at seminars, workshops and meetings at all levels of the party, into a coherent and well co-ordinated programme reflecting Parti Gerakan’s ideology.
1986 NDC
22. As a responsible political party, GERAKAN has always stood for a political ideology that stresses economic development, democratic participation and social justice, and national unity through, a multi-racial or Malaysian approach. We believe that this is the most suitable political framework for the country in view of its complex socioeconomic, multi-ethnic reality. Moreover, the party I has always sought to serve the people by putting our ideology in practice through playing a constructive role rather than through empty sloganeering. We have also accepted the need for power sharing and consensus in the formulation of national policies.
34. Ideologically, our party has continued to voice the people's aspiration through our representatives in the government. We have consistently applied our party's ideological beliefs through concrete stance and programs in politics, economics, education and culture. In line with our commitment for an "efficient, trustworthy and clean government", we have consistently called for actions to punish all who are found guilty in the BMP scandal. In line with our belief in democracy, we have consistently supported the right of the Sabah people to a democratically elected government.
36. In the final analysis, it is through commitment to principled ideological stands such as these that our party can hope to achieve unity of purpose internally as well as to win the allegiance and trust of the people externally. The party is not built around individuals, but rather on the fundamental ideology that the party collectively stands for. Those who are only interested in working towards their own positions and power will have no place in our party. On the other hand, all those who share our ideological commitments are welcomed to take roles in the party commensurate to their ability to contribute.
37. In this regard, we need to continue to strengthen the understanding of our party's ideology among our party members. It is only when our own party members have thoroughly grasped and are committed to the party's ideology that we can be effective in winning over others to our side.
1987 NDC
29. As a responsible political party, we will continue to work hard at all levels to represent the people’s interests and aspirations, and to combat the sources of such frustration, dissatisfaction and unhappiness. We will strive hard over the next few years to help create more jobs through the establishment of more small and medium size industries, increase educational opportunities eliminate racism and promote religious and cultural tolerance in the public sector. We will do all these, not so much because we want to win votes in the next elections, but because we believe it is the right thing to do.
30. Saudara/saudari, political struggle is a long-term process. We are in politics not because we want money, position, status or prestige but because we believe in our ideology and want to serve the people. To do so effectively, we of course need an organizational vehicle in the form of a political party. A political party, in turn should be a grouping of ideologically like-minded people who can work together as a team and slog to attain the political ideals they have set out to achieve. In struggle, there will be ups and downs but come what may, we should never waver or compromise or our commonly agreed principles. We must always stand firm and have unshakeable faith in our ideals. We must bring together wisdom and collective effort and subscribe to the principle of collective leadership with collective responsibility. Only then will a struggle succeed in the long-run.
31. I reiterate all these because some quarters seem to think that the success of failure of our struggle hinges on electoral performance in one term. This is not a correct view. The success of our struggle hinges on our commitment to win over the hearts and minds of all Malaysians to our cause and or readiness to work together at all times. There is no short-cut. There is only one way and this is the long, strenuous and sometimes turbulent path of struggle along which we shall encounter many obstacles, and even hazards. This is the road for the committed, not the waverers; for the strong-willed, not the weak-hearted; for the principled, not the opportunities. I am confident that most of us present to-day are ready for and already on this path of struggle that will, no doubt, be long and arduous but meaningful. That is why we are in politics. That is why we are in Gerakan.
1993 NDC
20. Nonetheless, Parti Gerakan's basic ideological line will not change viz our commitment to a non-racial Malaysian line towards the attainment of a socially just and egalitarian Malaysian society. This, I am sure you all will agree, has not only withstood the test of time but will continue to be accepted by a vast majority of Malaysians as the only principled line towards attaining a Malaysian identity, consciousness and nationalism. The substance of this line need to be reviewed and clearly spelt out as well in line with changing circumstances. I will therefore direct the entire party leadership, after consultations with leaders at the various levels, to work on an important policy directive that will have as its central theme the non-racial Malaysian line.
21. Such a policy directive, which will guide our struggle in the years to come, must take stock of the impact of the current and future political and economic trends, changing social forces such as the ethnic pluralization of our country's rich, middle and working classes, the expansion of the industrial workforce, the rise of religious fervor, emerging demographic patterns, the information era and the ever-changing international political and economic scenario on political values. Such contents should include Party Gerakan's position on the national question and the appropriate social-economic system that can at once enhance efficiency and competitiveness without neglecting social justice. If we do it well, Parti Gerakan will not only be able to meet the challenges but be able to advance the cause of a non-racial Malaysian consciousness in the nineties and into the 21st century. Our ability to expand ideologically and be counted as a significant contributor to an important cause thus depends crucially on our capability to continue evolving a system of political thoughts that will suit the changing times. It is a task we must, therefore, take seriously.
1997 NDC
13. It behooves us next to address this issue urgently, driven by our burning desire to galvanise and mobilise the rank and file through the party for the political agenda ahead. This agenda includes:
i) building a Bangsa Malaysia where there is ethnic, religious and gender equality;
ii) creating a truly just and prosperous Malaysia;
- transforming our country into a modem, knowledge-based and high-technology based economy; and
- enhancing the quality of life through environmental protection, sound resource management and educational democratisation for both human resources development and cultural enrichment.
This is a full agenda that requires our utmost long-term commitment to realize. Those who love our country and party must therefore cast aside theirJ negative and destructive attitudes and instead, close ranks for this great and challenging task of realising our agenda.
14. Many, if not most, from among you realise the urgency of this task. You have thus remain united and committed to our party's cause and have worked hard to realize our political agenda. Both at the national and state levels, activities such as organising workshops and seminars on a wide range of issues from privatization to urban poverty, have been organised over the last several months. The idea here is to raise the level of consciousness, understanding and knowledge of our members on these socio-economic issues. Following from this, members will be better able to articulate the frustrations and difficufties of the broad masses on these issues to the decision-makers for their consideration and improvement. Alternatively, they could act as agents to explain the good intentions and soundness of government policies. Meanwhile, efforts to strengthen our party's organisation and administrative machinery continue unabated. One such effort concerns computerising the national and state level headquarters. The national and state level headquarters are now linked via computers, paving the way for electronic e-mailing as the main means of communication. Parti Gerakan is thus heading towards a paperless and electronic administration which hopefully will be even more efficient and effective. Those that have not done so should make immediate efforts to do so.
1998 NDC
(27) On this 30th anniversary of the founding of our party, I feel it important for me to reiterate to you the political vision that has inspired our founders to launch Parti Gerakan. In launching the party, they pledged to mobilise and galvanise via the party all Malaysians as Malaysians. They knew then that it was crucial to promote the commitment to be a Malaysian above and beyond being a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Iban. And that this group would grow, more so if conscious political efforts are made to heighten the consciousness of Malaysians as a national identity, and to combat racism.
(28) The very idea of the founding of Parti Gerakan was precisely to put forth these efforts. Over the past 30 years since the founding of our party, members at all levels have tirelessly and ceaselessly worked towards the creation of a Malaysian nation and race or Bangsa Malaysia. And we can say with immense pride and honour that some great strides forward have been made.
(29) Today, many have come to identify themselves as Malaysians. They are proud to be Malaysians and want to be represented only as Malaysians. We have worked hard all these years to provide them with a vehicle and platform in the political arena to carry on this struggle to promote Malaysian nationalism and patriotism.
(30) It remains for us and the future generations of Gerakan members to carry on the struggle. But I have to stress that the way ahead is arduous and the journey towards the ultimate political destination still long and difficult. Those of you who are still with us or who have just joined us, particularly the younger generation of Gerakan members, must emulate the grit, determination and sacrifice of our party's founding fathers. These are qualities of the utmost importance in any political struggle. These are the qualities that are so essential to seeing any political struggle brought to its successful conclusion.
2002 NDC
(31) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s call for unity on the 45th anniversary of our Independence is most timely and appropriate for us to cast aside our racial and religious differences to create a successful and truly Bangs
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