Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia

Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia

The Malaysian People's Movement Party (commonly abbreviated as Gerakan) is a political party in Malaysia. The party was founded on March 24, 1968, and as of 2008, it is part of the ruling National Front coalition.

During its formation, Gerakan was an opposition party not affiliated with the national ruling coalition, the Alliance Party, the predecessor of the National Front. Following the 1969 general election, Gerakan won most of the seats in the state legislature of Penang. Gerakan and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, which won in Kelantan, were the only parties not then affiliated with the Alliance Party to form a state government in Malaysia. However, in 1973, Gerakan together with the Alliance Party formed a coalition called the National Front, where it remains until today.

The current leader of Gerakan is Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon who won the post of President uncontested in the 2008 party elections.

As of 2006, about 80% of Gerakan's members are ethnic Chinese, another 15% are Indian, and the rest are Malays or other races.

The party suffered its worst electoral defeat in the 2008 General Election, which saw the party retaining only two parliament seats, compared to the 10 seats it had before the election. As a result, the party lost its only cabinet post in the ensuing cabinet shuffle. In addition, Gerakan also lost power in Penang after governing the state for almost 39 years.

The party is assisted by an affiliated think tank called SEDAR Institute (Socio-Economic Development And Research Institute).

The party is a member of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats.