The Kah Choon That I Know
It was sad to hear that Lee Kah Choon had finally made a decision to leave Parti Gerakan all together and concentrate on bringing development to the State of Penang. His taking up of the post at Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and also InvestPenang was quite a ’shocker’ to me.
I’ve known Kah Choon or ‘KC’ (as he was affectionately known among our Gerakan Youth Central Committee) since 1999 when I was first appointed into the central body of the Youth Wing. At that time, he was the Vice Youth Chief among 2 others and I was only a ‘backbencher’ among the 30 plus central committee members.
My first dealing with him were cordial and in those formative years while I was still new in the Youth central committee, many others including KC always treated us with respect and will find time to exchange views with us or advise us whenever the occassion calls forth.
It was not until between the years 2002 till 2005 when I was appointed the National Treasurer of Gerakan Youth as well as the National Coordinator of the Anak Malaysia Project for the Youth Wing that I had a closer working relationship with KC. In 2003 when the Youth did the ‘Malam Anak Malaysia’ for 1300 attendees, KC was behind the scenes all the time and pushing me on to make the gathering a huge success. Next came when we launch the Anak Malaysia Website in 2004, he also helped in unseen ways.
But it was only in 2005 when I, as the National Coordinator had to organise the first gathering of minds with politicians from both fronts, as well as NGOs, that I got the greatest help from Kah Choon. We would meet almost weekly at the Bird Park Restaurant near Lake Club in KL, three months prior to the Convention and discussed over the finer details of how to make the ‘Anak Malaysia Convention’ a success. The Convention was a gathering of 1000 people from all ages and cuts across races to discuss on a national level how to make National Unity a reality. It was officially launched by our then president Dr Lim Keng Yaik and with a Keynote Address by Datuk Maximus Ongkili, whom was then the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of National Unity.
I value his mentorship during those few years and was looking forward to working with him as a National Leader following his retirement from the Youth Wing in September 2005. By that time, I had gathered enough courage to give the Deputy Youth Chief post a try myself. So in a way, I could say KC was not only a friend but also my predecessor in the Youth Wing. For after the Annual General Meeting of 2005, I was elected the Deputy National Youth Chief of Parti Gerakan.
Forward the clock to April 2008. Barely a month after the severe strike on us in Penang, I had the opportunity to meet KC again for lunch on the same day that he decided to announce his resignation from all post in Gerakan. During lunch, he never uttered a word about his impending move and I knew nothing about it until after reading the night edition of the newspaper. I suspect that there must be something wrong and ’sms’ him. He replied with a short note and say, everything is still the same and had urged me to keep in contact. After that I had no contact with him except reading in the newspaper a week later that he was appointed the director and Chairman respectively for PDC and investPenang.
I wouldn’t want to comment politically on what KC has done or not done in the last few weeks, but I still look forward to the day I can meet this ‘friend’ of mine to have our usual Cha Koay Teow in Penang. Personally, I think its a shame that we in the Youth has lost a leader in KC, but I can’t comment any more beyond that. There comes a time in a man’s life that he needs to make a decision based on what he believes, I hope KC has made the ‘right’ decision, not only for himself but for ALL concern.
Hopefully, one day, we can still lure back Anakin Skywalker onto the righteous path of the Jedi. May the force be with you now, KC.
Klaw
April 24th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
SP,
If KC feels he made the right decision for himself, and he feels he has also made the right decision for the interests of the people and the state of Penang, then shouldn’t Gerakan be proud that they have an important leader who is ready to be non-partisan and work with Gerakan’s ‘enemy’ for the greater good?
Instead, why push this leader away by issuing him a showcause letter, and in effect (the way I see it), push him away from the party?
bb
April 25th, 2008 at 4:11 am
Dear Saudara,
As long as he haven’t join the opposition parties, I still very much regard him as a great leader. Too bad that we have lost him to be part of the leader in Gerakan.
On the Anak Malaysia project, I wonder what has happened to it. Seems like there’s not enough publicity on the project. Even the website is already inactive. Hope to see the project becomes more active and receive more publicity.
Cheers.
The Bear
April 25th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Gerakan = Jedi? Yeah rite…. From what I see it, its more like Darth Vader had finally gotten enough of the bullshit from the Empire and joined the Rebel Forces.
bongkersz
April 25th, 2008 at 6:17 am
“Hopefully, one day, we can still lure back Anakin Skywalker onto the righteous path of the Jedi. May the force be with you now, KC.”
Are you sure your path is the Jedi path? Looks like not many Penangites believe in the righteous path of yours. Too bad. May the force be with you.
shag
April 25th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Its not his fault that you lot can’t differentiate between politcal party & Government.
LC_Teh
April 25th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Everything reads well here except that 2nd last sentence. Is that necessary? And the word ‘lure’ puts a sting in your tail. Praise for a friend has turned into poison. The opposition is not the Dark Side. They have a job to do for the country and they think he’s the best person. This country’s political landscape has just changed after March 3rd. Face it and change accordingly or become irrelevant.
Jason ANG
April 28th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
this lee ka choon ask him to fly kite lah, today gerakan tomolo DAP when he is going to PAS ??? ask him to potong first before going to PAS ＯＫ, all this politic FROG jumping here and there for what ??? we joint politic for public services lah, not for money, earning money go to do business, not politic , tell lee Ka Choon the frog , if he cannot afford to lose in election ask him do not joint politic, no game without losing lah.
Oh ya maybe lee ka choon dun know what is spirit of politic, play the game half way he cabut already, terrible person, this lim guan eng also the same, if what Lim guan eng talks is in singapore i think he would jailed for life hahaha.
freewave
April 30th, 2008 at 6:37 am
To me, the dark forces has nothing to do with which party you are in but who you work for. If the leader you work for is on the dark side, you’re working for the dark side.
What the citizens want is simple, serve them. That is what Lee Kah Choon is doing, serve the people of Penang. The citizens don’t give a damn which party you’re in, you serve them, they recognise you. I think what Lee Kah Choon did is commendable as his sight is far beyond his party, that is to serve the citizens of Penang rather than serve the party. And the way he did not quit from Gerakan membership showed his loyalty towards the party. The well being he will bring towards the society will be Gerakan’s credit. Gerakan should be proud for having such leader. The rakyats wanted so much this kind of quality in our leaders whom we don’t find many in BN.
The fall of Gerakan was due to a few bad apples in BN. Unfortunately, these bad apples are the few at the top of BN. They dragged the rest along to hell. Don’t be in a state of denial, just accept it and change for the better instead of bitching around. Wish him well.
kwong
July 23rd, 2008 at 3:09 am
Kah Choon has his decision to made. If his decision is to the best interest of the people, then we shouldn’t complaint. It is everyone’s right to decide on their own path. If it is not to harm and create problems to others, then it is fine…
Jelutong rakyat
January 17th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
>who is LEE KAH CHOON ?????????
>without ours JELUTONG RAKYAT give him a vote in 1999 general election , who is LEE KAH CHOON????????????
>LEE KAH CHOON just a small chick during 1999, a councillor at MPSP. no body know him ,
>last minutes on nomination day , he got a dead sit on JELUTONG . (GERAKAN lost in jelutong for past 21 years )
>magiccally and unbeliveable he won JELUTONG
NOW everybaody know his big name LEE KAH CHOON the lion killer . (even on that time DR M and ling leong siak (MCA) aslo sent a special regards to this young lion killer, their all happy bec’s in parliment their can sleep freely)
>time goes by, but still alot question in our mind, how come this young chick can bit karpal (DAP strong man) during 1999, but why he lost in 2008 in machang bubok election . Why?????????
>after deep search and dig form many many sources = their said , during 1999 his got a very SPECIAL FRIEND to help him to “TURN A ROUND” on last minutes during 1999 election . but after his victory , he keep a distance to this VERY SPECIAL FRIEND. so lastly he lost out in his very important battle during 2008 general election
we continues this coverage on next time if you are interested to know more