The one untenable compromise of the DAP has been to 'sleep with the enemy' PAS and that, to my mind has rendered the DAP unvotable. Notwithstanding the recent attempt to kick off the bedsheets, how can we ever conceive of multi-racial Malaysia as an Islamic state?

Whilst DAP still commands respect from an older generation who cannot forgive the government falling into the hands of the MCA and Umno, our new post-Merdeka-upwardly-mobile voters require more than the catchphrase that we hear so often - "good governance, transparency, equality, and social justice".

'Democratic socialism' has never caught on in western democracies, look at the Lib-Dems of Britain; many eventually go green. Socialist ideals in the Malaysian context are almost irrelevant. It happens to be everyone's ambition to get rich here, not to fight for equality. On top of that, human instinct takes one's political inclination either to the right or left, and not so much in between.

The DAP has to modernise and catch up with today's realities. For it to play an effective part in Malaysian politics it now has to offer more than a protest vote; it has to seize the issues of the day, and of the future.

Socialism is for a caring middle-class and an educated society, like French society who has been through much in its social history.

The Malaysian electorate is far from that. The Klang Valley might appear educated enough, but the masses beyond will continue to vote by sentiment, not rationale. The Chinese in particular will always vote on the side of security, not socio-political change. So what does the DAP do?

Seeking solitude with PAS is no answer as recent events have shown. Similarly dropping anchor with Barisan Alternatif is a poor alternative for it means that it can go on without needing to change under cover of a larger umbrella.

Not a single component of the BA has shown signs of being able to govern a country. Only a party in sync with the tempo and feelings of the electorate can ever hope to garner its support. It is therefore time to reflect on a new cause, DAP.