I beg to differ with what Karamjit Gill has written , a suggestion that DAP is better off without PKR. It makes me ask myself whether the leaders of PKR really have the BN gene in them, and is DAP a party that deserves a high amount of reverence, respect and applause?

Let’s be honest, every party has a thorn or a few thorns in their flesh. Before we come out with an article as such, let’s look into DAP’s backyard. Firstly, Lim Guan Eng, for instance. He can’t even take dissent.

He preaches about strengthening Pakatan Harapan, but weeks later he gets himself embroiled in a war of words with PKR assemblypersons and its leadership by saying that they are siding with Umno as they abstained from voting in the state assembly on a BN motion. Democracy is not just about the people voting in elections, but it is also giving your partners, your MPs, a voice and conscience.

Secondly, is DAP really fair? Before we start hailing DAP as the best opposition party, it’s best not to get our political views, anger, confusion and preferences over the moon. Inspect the party’s Selangor internal elections. Yes, DAP has practised democracy by allowing its Selangor members to vote on the state party leadership. But look at how they handled the results.

Gobind Singh Deo had the highest number of votes, so by fiat he should be appointed as Selangor DAP chief as he has most support. However they appoint Tony Pua, who fared far behind Gobind, whose number of votes was so much higher than Tony Pua. Has DAP executed its democracy well?

Thirdly, can DAP survive without PKR? Of course, most certainly. In the non-Malay constituencies or to be precise in Chinese majority constituencies. Sure, they will easily retain all their current seats as they are mostly Chinese majority constituencies.

Before we hail DAP as the strongest opposition party, which seems true right now, based on the number of seats it has in the Dewan Rakyat, I can only say that DAP has not gone through its biggest test. If we want to call DAP a strong party, they must be able to penetrate through Malay/bumiputera majority constituencies, which up till now, they are unsuccessful, to be honest.

‘Not enough to end social stigma’

DAP can call themselves multi-racial, but the reality is the reality which we cannot deny. Till this enough today, they are a Chinese majority party. I am proud that DAP has had several popular Malay/bumiputera faces joining their party, but the few faces is just not convincing and not enough to end the social stigma towards their party that it is a Chinese chauvinist party.

I am proud of what DAP has done, Impian Kelantan, Impian Sarawak, but it is still not enough to call them truly multi-racial, it is still not enough to say they have Malay support, for now.

Lastly, can DAP survive with Parti Amanah Negara? Before we claim that Amanah can get the Malay vote and that DAP should just stick to them, Amanah has yet to show its potential. So we cannot just assume that Amanah is a great party. Amanah should learn to have a voice of its own, to try and stand up on its own, and kick away their image as a DAP lackey, an image that PKR has never had.

PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli is not playing the racial card

Rafizi is speaking through factual realities. PAS still has the support of the Malays, especially in the east coast, the support that DAP will never have for now, the support that Amanah has not proven. PKR does have some support there, based on the fact that they have a seat or two in Kelantan and Terengganu state assemblies.

The only way change can be brought to our beloved country, is not just a strong opposition that can make lots of noise. Active change can only be brought when they are in government, not opposition. PKR does not deserve such bashing, they have played their part in the then Pakatan Rakyat as mediator, and they are just trying to not deepen the cracks within the opposition.

However, yes, if PAS decides to officially collaborate with Umno, PKR needs to review its ties with the former.