The DAP has outrightly rejected suggestions for the party to join BN following the MCA's proposal not to ask for any cabinet posts  because of its disastrous performance in the general election.

NONE DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the party respects the “One-Man, One-Vote, One-Value” principle and will not be undermined by BN's underhanded tactics of trying to split up the unity within Pakatan.

"DAP has no interest in joining BN for posts because if we had wanted to, we could have done so during the last 40 years," said Lim ( left ), in a statement.

"However, DAP refused to join BN and held steadfastly to our ideals, principles and policies of a fairer, freer and democratic Malaysia," he added.

"DAP leaders had not only forgone the perks and privileges of high office, but sacrificed their personal liberties by being jailed and detained," he stressed.

Lim said that if DAP leaders can hold firm and steadfast when they lost in the general elections, there is no doubt that the party can do the same now when it has won the highest number of seats with its historic gain of 38 parliamentary and 107 state seats.

'Clearly designed to split up Pakatan'

"This suggestion of DAP joining BN made by one MCA MP and one racist ex-Umno minister is clearly designed to undermine Pakatan's campaign to seek polls reform and split up the unity within Pakatan," said the Bagan MP.

On another note, Lim said any talk of cooperation must be done through Pakatan and not through individual parties.

He added that Pakatan was willing to cooperate with the BN to implement polls reforms to reflect the unhappiness of the majority of Malaysians who voted for change and yet discovered that despite winning the popular vote, they were unable to throw out the BN coalition.

azlan "Before this call to DAP to join BN, there have been similar calls to PAS to join BN with Umno for a unity government," Lim noted.

"All this is done when Umno is demonising both DAP and the Chinese community for daring to oppose and vote against BN," he added.

"Malaysians are no longer stupid and will not allow BN to racialise national issues."

Lim said every matter should be discussed and decided on merit that is not race-based, but needs-based.

This is the new paradigm shift of this general election - that the people are sick and tired of ‘race-based and extremist politics’ as well as a clear preference for people-centric policies," he added.

"Let us prove that the power of the people is more powerful than those people in power."

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