The DAP dilemma

The DAP dilemma

Ronald Benjamin


LETTER | It’s a pity that a political party like DAP, which used to speak up on various issues that plague the nation such as corruption, draconian laws, minority rights, and social justice, seems to be caught in a dilemma of so-called appeasement politics.

The statement by DAP leaders that called for reasoned discourse on a non-Muslim PM, local government elections, and suggestions to incorporate non-Muslim views on matters that have constitutional implications, is automatically interpreted from a communal lens by its suffering partner Umno.

This fact is especially damaging as the latter wants to be seen as a party of communal champions in competition with Perikatan National, which currently seems to take the lead in exuding itself as a great ethno-religious champion.

As usual, after a statement by DAP leaders that seemed to offend Umno, the polemics of Umno began and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke had to come to pacify his coalition members with a diplomatic statement that would reaffirm DAP’s role in the coalition government.

If DAP is going to place itself in such a continuous dilemma, it will end up as a second version of MCA, since Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and PKR would be more interested in mollifying Umno than taking DAP’s views seriously.

Today, the nation is in dire need of real parliamentarians and assemblypersons of conscience to address real issues that affect the nation, such as ethnic polarisation, high cost of living, poor local government services, poor quality of education, poverty, endemic corruption, institutional biases and environmental degradation.

Unfortunately, all these issues are seen from a communal lens, leading the nation into a regressive state which has great implications for the well-being of future generations in this country.

DAP’s silence and complicity in denying equal allocations for opposition MPs and state assemblypersons in Penang also shows that they are no different from other opportunistic political parties in the country.

If DAP is wise enough, it will review its behaviour and its role in Pakatan Harapan before the next general election.

However, if the situation remains, it should choose to work with parties with progressive voices, minus PKR and Umno of course.

Authentic reformations of government should come from the bottom up and engage its citizens, not from the elitism that characterises the mainstream political parties in the country.

DAP has to address its elitism if it wants to continuously obtain the support of Malaysians in the long run.

Being a principal party is more important than being in a coalition that muzzles conscientious voices in the name of irrational sensitivity.