DAP should remain in the Madani Cabinet to preserve political stability, investor confidence and continuity ahead of the next general election.
SOME 4,000 delegates to the DAP national congress on Sunday will decide on what is arguably the most critical agenda in the party’s 60-year history: whether it will remain in the federal government, or more specifically, in the Cabinet of the Madani administration.
Not many political observers, let alone the man-in-the-street, can understand the rationale or even the necessity of the party coming up with such an agenda at a time when political stability is what Malaysia needs most to navigate these challenging times, both domestically and internationally.
And this is against the backdrop of Malaysia having had five prime ministers since 2018 – a world record no Malaysian is proud of, even surpassing Japan where frequent changes of PMs is a political culture.
Lately, we have seen the same thing happening in Britain.
In other words, why does DAP want to rock the boat?
Party leaders have not explained why – at this juncture, with the next general election due by the end of next year – they have decided to plunge into such a potentially political quagmire.
As fellow veteran columnist Joceline Tan of The Star wrote, there are those who believe that the downward slide of DAP – as shown in the recent state elections in Johor and Negeri Sembilan – will worsen if it sticks by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has led the party to the pinnacle but is now struggling against the tide of public opinion about DAP and the Pakatan Harapan coalition.
“The majority of the DAP base comprises the Chinese-educated group and they will hold sway over the outcome of the weekend congress,” added Joceline.
DAP currently holds five ministerial and seven deputy ministerial posts.
But as Loke reasons out, regardless of the outcome of the congress, DAP will continue to support Anwar and remain a component of Pakatan Harapan.
I am making a strong case here for DAP to remain in the Cabinet – and why not?
DAP has 40 MPs, the largest representation in the august house among all the parties that make up the federal government.
Compare this with two other major Pakatan partners – Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, with 29 MPs, and Umno, with 26.
DAP made its debut in the Cabinet only after the 2018 general election, following decades as the key Opposition party at the federal level – indeed a landmark in the country’s political history.
Among other things, DAP then secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, was appointed to the key post of finance minister as befitting the 40 parliamentary seats it won that enabled the Parti Bersatu-led coalition to topple the Barisan National, headed by Umno, that had been in power continuously for 61 years.
But DAP’s stint in the government then, led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was short-lived or lasted 22 months following the so-called Sheraton Move that ended with Mahathir’s resignation in 2020.
DAP made a comeback to the Cabinet following the November 2022 general election, again after winning 40 seats.
The Anwar Cabinet, like its predecessors, is always described by critics as very bloated and often compared with the United States, a nation many times larger than Malaysia in terms of size, population and, more importantly, economic strength, yet with a Cabinet only about a third the size of ours.
But this can be explained by the fact that there are so many parties that make up the current coalition government.
Is DAP’s decision to put its position in the government to a vote among its delegates a way of demonstrating that it is neither power-crazy nor obsessed with Cabinet positions and other government appointments?
We all know it is not.
The party’s gentlemanly manner in accepting whatever positions are assigned to it, without raising a fuss or creating controversy, is well known.
Despite having more MPs than other parties in the current federal government, DAP holds less Cabinet posts than its counterparts with fewer Parliamentary seats and comparatively junior positions at that.
As the party that truly represents basically the Chinese community, the country’s second largest in terms of population, DAP should be represented in the Cabinet.
There’s no two ways about it.
Above all else, this is why its MPs are where they are today.
Their voters and supporters want them to have a say in the running of the government, not only for the community they basically represent, but for the country as a whole.
By and large, their ministers and deputy ministers are performing well above average and they should continue their mandate.
In the current political climate, major structural changes like a Cabinet reshuffle or a change in coalition dynamics often lead to market uncertainty and political friction.
DAP remaining in the Cabinet will provide a clear signal of predictability, which is vital for investor confidence and the smooth operation of government machinery.
It is the hope of all right-thinking Malaysians that the over 4,000 delegates who will cast their secret ballots on Sunday will do so with a clear rational conscience and not be swayed by petty sentiment.
It is heartening to note that Perak DAP, the party’s key state, has unanimously decided to remain in the unity government and to mobilise its full machinery to fulfil the people’s mandate and continue the country’s reform agenda.
It said Anwar’s leadership had proven successful in implementing reforms over the past three years while also enhancing the country’s standing on the world stage.
“DAP continues to demonstrate its capabilities through achievements and work performance so as not to disappoint the people’s expectations,” it said in a statement.
It wants the party to shoulder the responsibility of remaining in the unity government until the end of the term to maintain political stability, as this is the right and responsible path.
Another key role for DAP to remain in the government is to provide a balance and prevent extremist forces from continuing to gain ground.
Datuk Seri Azman Ujang was Bernama chairman, general manager and editor-in-chief.
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