DAP sacrificing principle for power in government

Extracts from Malaysiakini:

Harapan sacrificing principle at the altar of realpolitik?

YOURSAY | ‘I am sad that solidarity within PKR, DAP and Amanah will be irretrievably damaged.’

'Mahathir PM, Anwar DPM' - DAP urges PKR to state stand

Proarte: DAP has stated its position politically and I can understand this for self-interest reasons because it thinks in the short term Mahathir can help them win back their positions and power in government.

Whether it is based on principle is a moot point. Once DAP loses sight of its values and sacrifices principle at the altar of realpolitik, it loses its raison d'être and it has cheapened and betrayed its founding ideals and the rakyat.

Let us not forget DAP has supported a man to lead Pakatan Harapan Plus whose party Bersatu excludes Chinese and Indians as equal members. Yet DAP wants us to believe that it really believes in equality, human rights, justice and anti-racism.

DAP has supported a man who has been scathing and nasty towards the DAP throughout its 55-year history. Even when he was PM under Pakatan Harapan, he was caught on audio saying 'I don’t like Anwar, I don’t like DAP', but yet Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the DAP ideal choice to be PM and want PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim to work with him. How surreal!

If we read what Mahathir is saying in his blog about his apparent new-found confidence in the DAP, it smacks of racism and 'Ketuanan Melayu', implying the Chinese can never overcome the Malays despite their supposed bad intention and chauvinism towards Malays.

Otherwise, why would he associate them with communists, US President Donald Trump's behaviour, Israeli injustice towards the Palestinians, the Portuguese, British, Japanese, and the Siamese who attacked the Malays but yet Malays triumphed in the end despite all odds? Good point Mahathir, yes, why indeed should the Malays be afraid of the Chinese?

Sad to see DAP willingly turning into the MCA of Pakatan Harapan, dancing with alacrity to the tune of Mahathir whom they called a kleptocrat and dictator not so long ago.

I am sad that solidarity within PKR, DAP and Amanah will be irretrievably damaged because of what would naturally be seen as an unprincipled betrayal of Anwar and PKR by their collaboration with Mahathir who failed the rakyat by undermining Harapan with his typical Machiavellian antics and causing its collapse.

Yet ‘I don’t like DAP Mahathir’ is DAP's choice to lead Harapan Plus - to my mind, to oblivion.

JW: DAP leader Anthony Loke, you should have kept quiet about this. Really, what are you trying to prove? You may be right, but sometimes the wise course is not to state it publicly on such a matter.

Now that you had done it, you just showed yourself to be another Mahathir lackey, eager to get him back as PM because you might be hoping this could get Harapan Plus to run the government again, and you back as head of the Transport Ministry.

I know Mahathir has been good to you, but we the rakyat are more interested in not just you alone. It is the nation, and its long-term future, that we think are more important. And that future says to many of us that Mahathir should not be in it.

Not because he is close to a century old; indeed, I hope he can live another century. But it is because he is highly toxic in politics and Malaysian society and culture as a whole. Many of us rakyat have begun to realise - finally - that the longer he is on the political stage, the more harm his toxicity will inflict on Malaysia.

Already, his stubbornness is creating this kind of deathly stalemate in Harapan, all because he still insists he should be the PM. Talk about entitlement. It is not just Anwar that many have noisily accused of feeling entitled to be PM. Mahathir's belief in his entitlement to it is a lot worse.

So, Loke, stop aiding and abetting the most toxic old man in Malaysia.

Fair Play: DAP, you have been through thick and thin with Anwar for over 20 years. Now you show your true colour because you only want to serve the rakyat as the government, and not to represent the rakyat as MPs.

What would be Harapan Plus position be if PKR refuses to give in to Mahathir and you don’t support Anwar? I like to see whether you and Mahathir can topple Perikatan Nasional (PN) without PKR.

And Justice For All: In six months, the same problem will occur again. Another break-up of Harapan will happen. DAP's stand in this matter is weak. They are allowing a handful of MPs (remnants of Bersatu and Warisan) to dictate how things should be. In view of this, I believe DAP only belongs in the opposition. They are not government material.

Their argument that they are desperate to regain government control to please their supporters is weak. Victory at any cost? You will lose more later if you take that stand.

Macky: This obsession with getting numbers is the dumbest political strategy. To have Mahathir-Anwar pair as PM and DPM is to ask us to relive our nightmare which began almost three decades ago. Forget it.

Mahathir does not deserve any forgiveness, let alone a restored premiership after what he had done. How could he have been so dumb and effed up for allowing his own government to be overthrown?

Seriously this is the man you want to be PM, again and again, and again? I’d much rather enjoy the cussing, profanity and foul tweets against Azmin Ali, Zuraida Kamaruddin, Saifuddin Abdullah and Muhyiddin than see Anwar as DPM to Mahathir.

Sulaiman Che Long: Malaysia is at a watershed moment, not that there will be a clear outcome of who will be government, but the ideological path taken will have far greater long-term impact than who has power before GE15.

DAP’s stance is perhaps utilitarian. They want to get back power by all means. They harp on the mandate given by people. Some mandate indeed. Multiple issues eventually erode their mandate ending in Tanjung Piai. They are still counting the chicken after the chicken are roasted and eaten.

The fact that DAP is parting ways now with PKR means there are differences that are deep. What is DAP’s long-term goal then as a party? Is DAP going to become truly a multiracial party in substance or a member of a coalition like former Harapan?

Secondly, judging from social media, DAP is losing the social media war. Yes, DAP has lots of talents and technocrats. They are hardworking and dedicated. But politically, are they sharp? If they are so good, why did Harapan collapsed? And are they, DAP, reading the rakyat correctly now?

Frank: So, it is going to be like before? A never-ending story and stupidity and cruelty abound while Malaysia goes down the drain with no one seems to bother about it.

And with politicians in Harapan Plus adamant in having Mahathir as the prime minister, it would mean that he has more than enough MPs to be the government - and the rakyat votes to win the next general election too?

Surely one by-election's lost after another is enough of a lesson for everyone? No, no. This is Malaysia where the people on whichever side you are talking about and from all strata of society fail to learn from history. Malaysia, they are killing you.