Standfirst: The pendulum is swinging away from the party and it could reach its peak at the next general election expected by November, 2027.
Parkaran Kutty
Not many Malaysians thought that the DAP will lose all the eight seats it contested in the Sabah state polls.
Most thought that, at best, it could retain at least three of the seats it held prior to the election. That was the general perception of its supporters and analysts before last Saturday. However, not known to many, there were senior party leaders who smelt trouble a week before the election, according to a party insider.
They said that after an assessment, they concluded that winning three constituencies was a possibility, but that too was very shaky. And they were right.
The urban Chinese voters in Sabah avoided their old heroes like plague. The swing was so devastating that it would take a long time for the party to recover in Sabah, if it ever does, because the “Sabah for Sabahans” tagline also worked against the party. One insider told Newswave that party veteran Lim Kit Siang had warned the leaders of this outcome early this year in a closed-door session, but no one paid heed.
The rejection in Sabah must have been extremely painful for them, considering the party’s Cabinet ministers spent many days campaigning in the name of official duties there. The timing of their official visits to Sabah is claimed to be a coincidence.
When DAP was in the opposition, it’s leaders were the first to condemn visits by ministers and top civil servants during election campaigns to hold programmes for the people in the constituencies. They used to be so vocal. And over the last two weeks, they did exactly what they had condemned in the past.
Perhaps they were “not so intelligent” to think that that the voters are stupid not to have noticed the blatant abuse of power. They saw everything, but the DAP leaders just ignored the comments on social media, thinking that the Chinese voters will back them come what may. A conspicuous absence in the party's Sabah campaign was that of DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng.
No one knows the actual reason but one source told Newwave that said some local leaders view him as a liability these days because of his unresolved court matter. The party has become tone deaf, like how Barisan Nasional leaders behaved at their peak prior to the 2018 general election, which saw the “titanic” sink.
No one was bothered about the repercussions of such actions which show a clear abuse of power. Ministers became reel heroes from the people's heroes. They focussed on posting video clips of their visits on the social media as though nothing else mattered. They began feeling so good about the video clips featuring their so-called interaction with the people that it obscured their vision on the reality of the situation.
Many supporters were dismayed that the party even directed its members to stay away from the lawyers’ march to defend judicial independence in July. Surprisingly, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar was present at the event. While there was much rumbling from members and supporters on the ground, the leaders went about doing what they were doing unperturbed.
Apparently, some leaders are saying politics in Sabah and Sarawak is totally different from that of Peninsula Malaysia. Yes, they may be different but it’s the Chinese voters that we are talking about here. DAP is where it is now mainly because of this community. Once this pragmatic community withdraws its support, the party will be annihilated.
It happened once in 1995 to the DAP and it may happen again. In that general election, the party was left with just nine parliament and five state seats, the worst ever performance. Once this happens, Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR will face the ripple effect, as many of its MPs and state assemblymen were elected mainly with much Chinese and Indian support.
They may not want to vote for the PAS-linked Perikatan Nasional but there’s no guarantee they will not stay away from the election altogether.
What can stop the swing
Although the next general election (GE16) is two years away, there is no guarantee that a snap election won’t be called. Even if Anwar decides to stretch it to a full term and call GE16 in 2027, DAP will find it hard to win back the support it had lost rapidly especially over the last three years. One biggest setback is the silence of its leaders on issues of corruption allegedly involving federal leaders and allies, standing alongside with them now.
Once the loudest voice of the people, they have been now cowed into silence as they want to keep their government positions which they seem to be enjoying to the hilt these days.
Once easy to reach by the people and the journalists for reactions and comments, they have placed themselves in the ivory tower these days. Most don’t even bother to acknowledge or respond, let alone answer the questions. Perhaps they have more to hide, in their bid to stay in power.
DAP needs to speak up like how it did in the past even if it means rocking the boat. The party, with the most number of MPs in the Madani government with 40 MPs, should not be silent when injustices take place just because it’s part of the ruling coalition. The DAP's past vocal opposition to corruption was a response to public expectations.
Now grassroots leaders within the party have expressed concerns that its silence on scandals has eroded trust among supporters. The party must clarify its stance on such issues to maintain its integrity and connection with the electorate. This reflects a broader understanding that transparency is crucial for sustaining public support and confidence in political institutions.
Criticisms have emerged regarding perceived inconsistencies in the party's responses to corruption allegations involving its members and allies. There is an obvious disconnect between the party's past actions against corruption and its current approach, which has undermined its credibility. Whatever said and done, DAP has a herculean task to rebuild its shattered image before GE16.
But being part of the government will definitely be tough for them to do that now. Power and positions have gone into their heads. The party has admitted it’s facing a serious crisis of confidence after the Sabah polls rejection.
But acknowledgement alone is just not sufficient. People want action, not mere words. The party leaders must not fear losing positions and power if they want to regain the respect it once enjoyed. They must tell Anwar Ibrahim that election promises of reform must be fulfilled before GE16 or risk losing the election to a PAS-led Perikatan Nasional.
Parkaran Kutty (parkarank@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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