Last Updated: 6:09pm, Oct 27, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 27): Newly elected Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong has vowed to make Gerakan a stronger party at the end of his first term in 2016.

He said he planned to implement several changes for the party and urged other leaders and party members to give him their full support.

"Have trust in me. You (delegates) have already elected me as the new president. So now give the time and support for me to improve the party.            

"I know when I implement new things later, many people would not be happy with me. But please don't be judgemental. Do not see how I start (as party president), but see how I finish (my job) at the end of the first term," he said.

Mah said this in his maiden speech as party president when winding up his speech at the end of party's 42nd National Delegates' Conference at Menara PGRM here today.

Mah said Gerakan had a bright future ahead and reminded its members that the party would stay relevant in the current political landscape.

In voicing his confidence in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's leadership, he hoped Najib would intensify the 1Malaysia concept to all walks of life.

"Before the 13th general election, the 1Malaysia spirit was very strong but subsequently, I notice it has slowed down a bit. We have started the campaign, so we cannot retreat bow.

"I hope we will continue this campaign for all Malaysians," he said.

Speaking at a news conference later, Mah said although the majority of the new party line-up were new faces, the old guards would not be neglected.

"These new faces will be the continuation of the old faces. It does not mean the old faces will be out of the picture. The old faces will still support from behind," he said.

To a question whether Gerakan will leave Barisan Nasional (BN) as called for by many of the delegates, Mah stressed that it would not as this was not the stand of the majority in the party.

"Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is still the best leader and we support him," he said, adding that there was a tendency for disagrements between members of the coalition and that this would only make the family stronger.

He said, however, Gerakan wished to play a bigger role in BN.

For more stories, go to www.fz.com, the website for freedom of expression and fairness in articulation.