LETTER | Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has finally met the Yang di-Pertuan Agong over the former's claim of securing enough support to form the next government.

Save for Anwar himself and those in his inner circle, nobody knows for sure if he has the numbers for real. If he has, good for him, otherwise, he'd just live with the ignominy of pulling the "I have the numbers" stunt one too many times unsuccessfully.

My concern is not so much with whether or not Anwar has the numbers, but where DAP stands in the midst of the political wheeling and dealing. For the longest time, I have been a staunch supporter of the party.

With 42 MPs, it is the single party with the largest chunk of federal lawmakers. And unlike Umno which has many factions, DAP is one solid bloc.

Obviously, DAP still harbours hopes of returning to Putrajaya given its short 22-month stint there. After all, 2018 was the first time the party made inroads into the federal government since its formation in 1965.

But at what cost does it want to return to power? Is the party willing to sacrifice its principles by joining forces with the likes of former premier Najib Abdul Razak and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, whom the party had vilified for years, if not decades?

To be fair, Anwar has yet to reveal if the Umno MPs above and others like Tengku Adnan Mansor and Bung Moktar Radin - all facing corruption charges - are in the PKR president's list of supporters to be the country's ninth PM.

But it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine that they are. These are the people who stand to gain by cutting deals with Anwar. Other Umno MPs who already hold government posts or appointed into government-linked companies would likely prefer the status quo.

On Wednesday (Oct 14), Najib in a Facebook posting already said that surely DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng would be pleased to work with Umno. Whether that was said in jest or otherwise, that prospect is indeed terrifying!

If DAP chooses to side with the likes of Bossku and Zahid, the latter facing a record 87 corruption charges, the party can rest assured that it'd lose huge support in the next general election. Consider this a warning shot from a staunch supporter.

There are some lines that cannot be crossed no matter what and some principles that cannot be bent, not even for expediency's sake. As it is, DAP was already seen to be overly bending backwards during its short stint in power, such as its restraint in voicing opposition to the Malay dignity congress gathering.

DAP had better heed the warning about working with the devil. If they do, the retribution at the ballot box will be swift, decisive and definitely agonising.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.