KUALA LUMPUR – DAP delegates debating the party’s future in the unity government have largely backed remaining in power until the end of the current parliamentary term, while calling for stronger reforms, greater accountability and a clearer political direction.
Several speakers at the party congress argued that DAP should not withdraw from the government despite recent electoral setbacks in Sabah, Johor and Negri Sembilan, saying leaving now would mean abandoning the mandate given by voters.
Perak assemblyman Jason Ng Thien Yong said DAP had spent decades fighting to be part of the government and should not surrender that position following recent defeats.
“We must stay until we win again,” he said, adding that leaving the government would only further disappoint voters who had placed their trust in DAP and Pakatan Harapan to bring about change.
DAP Shah Alam chairman, Muhammad Shakir bin Ameer Mohideen, also supported remaining in the coalition, but cautioned that effective governance alone was no longer sufficient to secure electoral support.
“We have to re-strategise. We must continue to deliver good governance to the people, but we also need to manage narrative,” he said.
He stressed that DAP needed to strengthen the Pakatan Harapan brand and improve how it communicates with voters.
However, DAP Kuala Lumpur state committee member Sangeet Kaur Deo offered a more critical assessment, saying the party should remain in government not merely to preserve the coalition, but to rebuild public confidence and reclaim its voice.
“We should stay because DAP needs these months to rebuild trust and confidence in this party,” she said, adding that the party had sometimes remained quiet on certain issues to avoid “rocking the boat”.
Deputy chief of DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Sarawak, Soo Tien Ren, warned that staying in government without clear objectives could further damage the party.
“If we leave now, we will be committing political suicide,” he said.
He called for specific reform targets, timelines and accountability measures, saying DAP must be able to demonstrate tangible achievements to voters if it chose to remain in power.
DAPSY National Executive Committee member Jason Tze-Xi Nathan echoed the call, saying the party could no longer rely on election promises alone.
“We cannot say to the people that we have promised to do this and that. The people will ask what we did after we got the mandate,” he said.
He called for the government to present a clear report card on its achievements before the next general election.
The debate highlighted a broad consensus among delegates that DAP should continue participating in the unity government, but only with a clear purpose.
While many rejected the option of leaving the coalition, they also stressed that remaining in power must be accompanied by meaningful reforms, a stronger commitment to voters and efforts to restore the party’s credibility ahead of the next election.
The final decision, however, rests with more than 4,000 delegates who were casting their votes at the time of writing.
Earlier, DAP deputy secretary-general Steven Sim said the party’s involvement in a coalition government with Umno should not be interpreted as a compromise on its fundamental principles. – August 16, 2026
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