LETTER | DAP will hold its national congress on Aug 16, 2026, where over 4,000 delegates will vote by secret ballot on a motion to decide whether the party should remain in Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government until the end of the parliamentary term.
There will be many thoughts in the minds of delegates, but there are fundamental issues that need to be considered in deciding whether the party should stay in the government.
Integrity in governance
Firstly, it is vital to reflect whether Malaysia’s coalition government formed on Nov 24, 2022, following the 15th general election that resulted in a hung Parliament, was built on the principles of having red lines on issues such as corruption and governance integrity, to ensure the premiership of Anwar, or to prevent the takeover of right-wing parties like PAS.
The coalition government’s problems are due to never having red lines on issues of integrity, and this has placed DAP in a dilemma.
For example, the dropping of 47 corruption, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi by prosecutors has created a perception among the public that the DAP’s working relationship with the unity government is largely based on political consideration rather than integrity.
Draconian laws
The coalition government continues to maintain and deploy several colonial-era and restrictive security laws to manage dissent, despite reform pledges by Pakatan Harapan before the 2022 general election.
We still have the Sedition Act 1948, the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, and the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
What is obvious is that PKR, DAP, and Amanah have compromised their very foundational pledges to reform some of these laws to mollify BN, which has just 30 seats in Parliament compared to the 82 held by Pakatan Harapan.
Has this not created a public perception that DAP and Harapan as a whole have compromised a lot and, in turn, lost the trust of its core supporters?
Socioeconomic priorities
Finally, the fundamental question that delegates should reflect on is the party’s socioeconomic priorities - whether the DAP ministers in the cabinet have addressed the rights of workers, farmers, and the urban poor.
If it has, what is the evidence of improvement in the lives of these communities in the country? What about the cost of living that has been detrimental to the majority of Malaysians? Has the government addressed the spike in medical insurance premiums that has affected the elderly population?
Good governance and the common good should not be compromised.
The Association for Welfare, Community, and Dialogue believes that there is nothing wrong with forming coalitions after general elections due to the realities of the electoral outcome.
What it proposes is that there should be principles that should not be compromised, especially good governance, the elimination of corruption, the abolishment of draconian laws that violate the right to a just trial, and the importance of socioeconomic justice that serves the common good instead of the few well-connected.
It is hoped that the DAP delegates will keep these principles in mind as they decide whether the party should be part of the coalition government.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
