Contenders for the DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) chief post outlined their plans to make DAP less Chinese in the inaugural Dapsy chief candidate debate.

The two candidates, Yeo Bee Yin and Wong Kah Woh, battled it out in a friendly debate at the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur tonight.

In her opening remarks, Yeo admitted that there is a pervasive perception of DAP being anti-Islam and anti-Malay.

Later, Impian Malaysia coordinator Wan Hamidi Hamid, who was one of the commentators in the debate, asked both of them what steps they would take to attract more non-Chinese to join the party.

Yeo explained that as part of her manifesto, engagement programmes would be the most important tool to get more non-Chinese, specifically bumiputeras, to join the party.

“There is no shortcut in my experience. To get non-Chinese members, engagement programmes are the most important.

“We need to have more specific bumiputera-friendly programmes,” she said.

Engagement programmes would help educate people on what DAP actually fights for, she said, and only then will they see more non-Chinese members joining them.

Meanwhile, Wong said he would utilise youth programmes, such as their "democracy schools".

“We need to optimise our talent pool from democracy schools for Dapsy in the future, so that we can overcome our past weaknesses,” he said.

Both of them also admitted that the upcoming 14th general election in 2018 will be the most important one yet, and the youths could swing the fight in their favour.

Using the example of US President Barack Obama’s presidency campaign in 2008, Yeo said that he was initially seen as the underdog to John McCain.

“But it’s exactly because he knew how to harness the power of youth that he won his election.

“We need to use the power of youth to the benefit of the opposition coalition to win GE14 and change the history of Malaysia,” she said.

Wong said that no one can deny how important GE14 is, and they must understand the obstacles they face as well as the sentiments of the grassroots before they can tackle these problems.

“I want to remind you all, all of this was not achieved easily. We have faced obstacles and got through them,” he said.

The new Dapsy chief will be announced on Sunday.