It is true that the Chinese are not happy with DAP.
It is true that DAP lost all of its 8 seats in Sabah.
But it is not true that the Chinese vote is about to swing to BN, as UMNO President Zahid Hamidi believes.
For context, Zahid seems to believe that the Chinese vote is like a pendulum that swung toward DAP in the past, but is ripe to swing back to BN today.
"The pendulum doesn't only swing down, it will also swing back up. And I am confident that Chinese voters, bit by bit, are returning to support BN," he said in an interview with Nanyang Siang Pau today.
Personally, I am also confident that Zahid only said what he said because that is what he has to say. In truth, however, I highly doubt that even Zahid believes what he says, although he is certainly hoping that everyone else will believe it.
The truth, as we are all probably aware of, is that the Chinese vote today is as division-resistant as the Malay and Indian votes are unity-resistant.
In other words, just as hard or even impossible as it is to ask the Malays or Indians to unite under any single party, it is equally difficult or impossible to expect the Chinese to split their vote between two or more different parties.
Chua Soi Lek, the past MCA president, believes that splitting their vote between MCA and DAP is what is in the best interest of the Chinese. However, like Zahid, Chua Soi Lek is also likely only saying what he is expected to say. Like Zahid, Chua also probably doesn't believe in what he is saying, although he is certainly hoping that everybody else will believe it.
Today, it is as hard to expect the Chinese to split their vote as it is to expect the Sarawakian to split their vote.
Just like how you don't have to tell Sarawakians not to split their vote, you don't have to tell the Chinese not to split their vote either—both instinctively know it. Just as a Sarawakian will instinctively not vote for any party outside of Sarawak, the Chinese will also instinctively not vote for any party other than DAP.
They won't, because like the Sarawakians, the Chinese instinctively know that they have to stand united.
That DAP lost all 8 seats in the recent Sabah election is really an indictment of the East and West Malaysia relationship, rather than an indictment of the relationship between the Chinese and DAP.
Just like the only party that can defeat GPS in Sarawak is GPS itself, the only party that can defeat DAP for the Chinese vote is also DAP itself.
In other words, Chinese dissatisfaction with DAP might manifest as a rebellion against Anthony Loke's leadership of DAP, not against DAP itself.
There are currently two camps in DAP.
The first is the Anthony Loke camp, which believes that DAP must cultivate a spirit of sacrifice and a willingness to swallow bitterness in order to work together with other parties—even its traditional opponents like UMNO. This is so DAP can be a part of the government, and use its position in the government to safeguard the interests of non-Malays and the Chinese, as well as build a better Malaysia for all.
The second camp in DAP is the opposition minded faction, that believes that it is better for DAP to forfeit its position in the government and fight for the interests and rights of non-Malays as the opposition, rather than lose all of its self-respect and dignity by being part of a government that repeatedly favors the Malays who are against them more than the non-Malays who supported them.
If the Chinese are displeased with DAP, it is Anthony Loke's camp that will suffer, not DAP itself.
Anthony will know just how much the Chinese are behind him when he faces the DAP delegates during its National Congress on August 16.
If the Chinese disapprove of his approach, it is Anthony Loke and his camp that will have to dial down their approach, of maybe even be pushed out from their leadership position in DAP , but Chinese support for DAP will remain intact.
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