DAP election: a fight for
political survival and
legacy?
All eyes will be on whether candidates loyal to Lim Guan Eng or Loke Siew Fook will take control of the central executive committee at party elections on Sunday.
The top 30 will determine its office-bearers for the 2025-2028 term, a crucial period leading up to the 16th general election — due by February 2028.
One of the key questions that will be answered is whether Lim Guan Eng, the party’s national chairman and a former finance minister, will retain his family’s strong influence within the party. His sister, Hui Ying, is also contesting, adding to the intrigue.
Eyes will also be trained on Loke Siew Fook, who presently holds the most influential position in the party as its secretary-general. The new CEC lineup will determine whether his allies, said to include housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming, will gain control of the committee.
“Will the Lim family remain a dominant force or will a new leadership direction emerge,” asked James Chin, professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, adding that the battle was about “the Lim family’s political survival”.
“If they secure enough seats, they can maintain their influence,” he told FMT.
Chin said that winning at least 16 seats would determine whether the old guard or the new leadership controls the party, and would ultimately decide who will become the party’s national chairman.
Guan Eng, the incumbent, appears set to be challenged by Chow Kon Yeow, Penang’s chief minister, for the post.
Even if Guan Eng and Hui Ying fail to secure top positions, Chin said their family name will remain forever etched in the party’s history.
“You cannot talk about DAP without mentioning the Lim family, but this election will decide whether they can still shape the party’s future or become more of a symbolic legacy.”
P Sivamurugan, of Universiti Sains Malaysia, described Guan Eng as a fighter, likening him to his father Kit Siang. “He won’t give up easily.”
Kit Siang’s stint in the CEC began in 1966 when he took on the role of national organising secretary. In 1969, he became DAP’s secretary-general, a powerful position which he held for 30 years. He retired from politics in 2022.
Aside from Guan Eng and Loke, the performance of federal minister Gobind Singh Deo will also come under close scrutiny.
Gobind, son of the late Karpal Singh, a former DAP chairman, failed to secure a seat on the committee of the party’s Selangor chapter last year, losing his position as state chief in the process.
Key women candidates to look out for include Hannah Yeoh, Kasthuri Patto, Vivian Wong, Teresa Kok, Teo Nie Ching, Yeo Bee Yin and Young Syefura Othman. Under the party’s constitution nine seats are reserved for women.
A total of 4,203 delegates will vote during the national congress at the Ideal Convention Centre in Shah Alam. The event is expected to be attended by Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim.
Will DAP emerge stronger or divided?
Formerly one of the more vocal opposition parties, DAP is now part of the government. However, its core Chinese voter base has grown increasingly frustrated, concerned at its failure to assert despite holding the largest number of seats among government MPs.
“There’s been a lot of pressure on DAP,” said Chin.
“Chinese voters expected the party to take a stronger stance on key issues concerning the Chinese community, but it has largely been seen as accommodating to its coalition partners,” he said.
Since forming part of the Anwar-led government, DAP has been seen as yielding to its coalition partners, especially Umno. Many Chinese voters had hoped that, as the largest party in PH, DAP would push harder for institutional reforms and policies that benefit the community.
This has led to accusations that the party has “sold out” its principles.
Sivamurugan said the election will be a crucial test of whether DAP is willing to adapt to changing political realities.
“This election is tense because of factional rivalries,” he said.
“But the bigger question is whether DAP will emerge stronger and more united, or divided and weakened.”
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