Chinese educationists with the Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ) movement and their grassroots supporters have always sympathised and empathised with political underdogs be it Malay, Chinese, Indian or others.

But the scenario is different with the battle royale in Gerakan between incumbent president Dr Lim Keng Yaik and his long-time deputy Kerk Choo Ting.

Many of the educationists, both in and out of Gerakan, have publicly disassociated themselves and DJZ from Kerk, who was once closely associated with the movement.

They said although Kerk ( photo ) was a Chinese educationist and legal counsel for DJZ in the 1970s, he no longer represents the movement, especially in Gerakan's internal strife.

Some went a step further and accused Kerk of 'selling out' the cause which he vowed to advance in 1982 when DJZ mobilised hundreds of its grassroots supporters to campaign for his election into the parliament under the Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket.

They cited Kerk's support for various controversial education policies formulated by the Umno-dominated government which were opposed by DJZ and the Chinese community, such as the 'vision schools' and the teaching of science and mathematics in English in primary schools.

They also recalled Kerk's public attack on DJZ in the Chinese media and his support for the demolition of a historical Chinese cemetery in Kuala Lumpur in favour of 'development' in the mid-1990s as further evidences of his 'treachery'.

Why did Chinese educationists, who don't have a soft spot for Lim either, mount the campaign to disassociate themselves from Kerk, at a time when the presidential contest in Gerakan has reached a do-or-die stage?