KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia has arrived at a crossroads. After it was almost decimated in the recent general election, the party is now asking itself: Should it remain faithful to Barisan Nasional (BN) or seek a new direction, including switching to the Opposition?

The defeat was so humiliating that a major rethink of its raison d’etre, or reason for being, is in order. As Tricia Yeoh of the Centre of Public Policy Studies (CPPS) succinctly put it, Gerakan may soon die a natural death if the party does not carve out a niche for itself.

Besides losing Penang state to the Opposition, its political representation has been reduced to only two parliamentary and four state seats, compared with 10 parliamentary and 30 state seats previously.

Party members and political analysts ventured various explanations for the stunning defeat, but most agreed on a key point — Gerakan has drifted away from its founding philosophy of multiracialism and social democracy.

They also said the party had compromised its role as “the conscience of BN” by bowing to pressures from Umno, the dominant force in BN.

This prompted political analyst Khoo Kay Peng, who previously headed the party’s think tank Sedar, to urge the Gerakan leadership, particularly party adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik and acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, to snap out of their denial syndrome and lead the party back to its roots.

Party veteran and former Penang state executive councillor Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon suggested that Gerakan leave BN if the party could not push through reforms in the ruling coalition.

While he did not urge Gerakan to leave BN immediately, he believed the next course of action for the party would be to join the opposition coalition.

Echoing the sentiment, another party elder, Dr Choong Sim Poey, pointed out that the idea of leaving BN was not new, but had been brought up occasionally in closed-door meetings since Gerakan joined the coalition in 1974.

Toh reckoned that the current political landscape could mark the beginning of a competitive two-party system, although how the system would pan out depended on the conduct and performance of the opposition over time.

At the moment, it is premature for Gerakan to leave BN, as some component parties are still trying to understand their recent electoral setback.

Beyond the dilemma of either staying in BN or joining the opposition, Gerakan has another option — a middle path — which is to leave the ruling coalition without joining the opposition coalition.

There are several advantages for Gerakan to choose this route. If indeed its biggest political liability is its inability to act as “the conscience of BN” within the ruling coalition, leaving is probably the best way forward for the party.

It may be hard for the Gerakan leadership to accept this now as BN is still in power at the federal level. Despite the erosion of BN power, leaving the coalition will sever whatever little ‘life support’ it has to offer the party.

If left with no choice, Gerakan can mitigate the ramifications of quitting BN by not joining the opposition. The separation from BN can be an “amicable” one provided Gerakan does not rub salt to injury by opting for a rival camp.

Looking at Gerakan’s current political strength, the party will not amount to much as a part of the opposition coalition. If anything, Gerakan will only play second fiddle to other multiracial parties such as DAP and PKR.

When the next polls come, there are no reasons for these two opposition parties to give up their own seats to accommodate Gerakan, what more help the party in Penang.

This does not mean Gerakan will be in a better position to recapture Penang if it remains in BN. As long as Umno and MCA do not reform, Gerakan has to deal with its old problem again, as Umno and MCA will be exerting pressure on the party.

Even if DAP performs badly at the helm of the state government, BN will still face a difficult time recapturing Penang as long as MCA continues to compete with Gerakan. In any case, Chinese voters will probably opt for DAP and PKR again to forestall the re-emergence of Umno as the power broker in the state.

The scenario will be different if Gerakan is independent of both BN and the opposition, and is free to contest any seat it desires. In fact, the party could appear as a very attractive alternative to Penangites, especially if the DAP-led state government fails miserably.

To win support at the parliamentary level, an independent Gerakan can capitalise on its “political flexibility” by either supporting the government or the opposition solely based on issues.

If a two-party system can emerge in Malaysia, there is no reason why a “third party” cannot survive in the new political landscape.

Looking at the UK, from which Malaysia borrowed the Westminster parliamentary model, we can see how the Liberal Democrats has flourished to challenge the dominance of established parties, the Conservatives and Labour.

It is worthwhile noting that Gerakan is also a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats.

The recent political tsunami has unwittingly created a “political blue ocean” for Gerakan. What is required now is the political courage to dive into this ocean.

Unlike a “mosquito party” without any governing track record, Gerakan is a respectable brand name that is credited with developing Penang. Leveraging on its fine brand and existing human capital, the party can re-invent itself.