Sangeet also said DAP could not ignore concerns over corruption, racial divisions and controversies involving institutions while its leaders were serving in government.
PUTRAJAYA: DAP should remain in the unity government for now but seriously reassess its relationship with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a party delegate said today.
Federal Territories DAP delegate Sangeet Kaur Deo said the party should use the next 18 months to rebuild public trust, speak up more forcefully on issues including corruption and racial division, and restore its credibility before deciding whether it could continue working with its coalition partners.
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Debating a motion on whether DAP should remain in government at the party’s national congress here, she said the decision to stay should not be based on an assumption that the coalition would deliver all the reforms DAP had promised.
“We stay, but for different reasons,” she said.
Sangeet said DAP could point to several strong initiatives undertaken by its ministers, but acknowledged that the party had remained silent on too many issues to avoid “rocking the boat”.
She questioned whether the party could genuinely work with its coalition partners, particularly Umno, which she said continued to attack DAP at the federal level despite being part of the same government.
“I ask our Central Executive Committee (CEC) to seriously reassess our relationship with Anwar Ibrahim.
“Instead of bringing the coalition partners together, what has he done? He has divided us, pitted us against each other and empowered Umno,” she said.
Sangeet also said DAP could not ignore concerns over corruption, racial divisions and controversies involving institutions while its leaders were serving in government.
She said remaining in government would give DAP an opportunity to demonstrate that it could speak up and defend its principles from within, rather than simply criticising from the opposition.
“If we must become the opposition again, at least we have laid the basis and regained credibility,” she said.
