DAP needs to set itself apart to combat PAS's influence

OPINION | DAP needs to set itself apart to combat PAS's influence

14 Nov 2025 • 8:30 AM MYT


Timothy
A Student who dabbles in the left side of politics

DAP logo. Credit: DAP


More than a year and a half ago, I wrote an article entitled: "Opinion: There is something wrong with DAP, and it is party disillusionment", which introduced the idea of what DAP's foundational values are, how they've deviated from them and how they could get back to upholding their foundational documents. Since then, there have been some political developments, which have been very noteworthy.


Consolidation of Social Democrats

Firstly, they have concluded their 18th Party Congress earlier this year and right from the get-go, there was already noise surrounding the Party - particularly in regards to Party Chairman, Lim Guan Eng. Party insiders told Free Malaysia Today that there was a faction inside DAP that wanted to oust Mr Lim, with him being viewed as a "growing liability" which could harm the Party's image and public perception. Back then, I questioned the integrity of DAP's party positioning and the internal struggles for power between the neoliberal, market-oriented Red Faction and the social democratic Blue Faction, and it seems the Party gave an answer.


At the Congress, for ideological reasons or not, Mr Lim, a prominent member of the neoliberal (The Red Faction) wing of DAP, was ousted by Mr Gobind Singh, who is perceived to align himself with the Social Democratic (Blue Faction) wing of DAP, which signals that the Party might be coming back to its social democratic roots. This shift could potentially change the political landscape in Malaysia, as the Party's more communitarian and inclusive message could resonate with a broader audience. In addition, Blue Faction members such as Liew Chin Tong, who was elected to be the National Strategist, and Hannah Yeoh, who was elected to be the Deputy Secretary General, consolidated power and adopted a more communitarian and inclusive message, while Red Faction Members like Lim Hui Ying, Mr Lim's Sister, and Teresa Kok lost power in the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the governing committee for the day to day running of DAP.


DAP's ties to the Federal Government

At a glance, DAP should be one of the primary beneficiaries of being in federal office. They are the largest caucus in Pakatan Harapan [PH], the primary coalition that governs Malaysia, with almost half of PH MPs being DAP party members. They have been working with Parti Keadilan Rakyat [PKR] for a while now, even when Barisan Alternatif was still alive and kicking during the last few years of the 20th century. The economy, numbers-wise, at the time of writing, is doing relatively well, with strong economic growth (4.4% in the 2nd Quarter) and low inflation (1.5% in September). However, systemic socio-economic issues still exist.


Underemployment still exists for 1.96 million Malaysian workers, which translates to approximately 35% of Malaysian degree and diploma holders - that's greater than one in three. Income Inequality still overshadows our economic growth, with the Gini index hitting a 50-year low of 39, which is good and a step in the right direction. However, we are still marketably "above the global average" of 35.28, according to the World Bank, with the latest numbers published in 2022 saying that the top 10% in Malaysian society earn more than 30% of the national income, while the bottom 40% of Malaysian society earning about 16%, according to the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). Even though the numbers are from 2022, it is unlikely that a sizable shift has happened since then, especially not with the current MADANI Government. Either way, this signals a clear class division that transcends ethnic lines, lines that the political establishment has exploited to garner more votes during a general election. Educational issues remain a central focus in Malaysian society, with our public schools underperforming in comparison to other ASEAN nations and being underfunded, leading us to lag technologically and educationally.


In the face of all these issues and challenges, DAP has remained largely silent. Anthony Loke, the DAP party leader, who seems like a genuine guy, keeps his head down and does the work as it relates to his Transportation Portfolio, with him doing his job effectively. However, he does not strike across as an effective party leader. An effective party leader would look at the recent party congress election results to embolden him to create an opportunity for DAP to prove to voters and the Malaysian public that this is a new DAP, a DAP which can distinguish itself from the political establishment and shake off the shackles of neoliberalism, which is the only way to hurt the conservative, reactionary and religious-backed wave of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, known to most as PAS. However, his perceived silence may give rise to PAS and BERSATU in Perikatan Nasional to seize the narrative talking points and use that as leverage in the polls.


PAS's appeal and lessons from abroad

It is becoming increasingly evident by the day that PAS is like most far-right parties in Europe, utilising Trumpian tactics: stoke up anger in the voter base by running on those cultural hot button issues, vaguely promise a better economic life for all and somehow, profit from it. Throughout recent history, dating back to the 20th century, during times of uncertainty and stability, voters have turned to more ideologically populist messaging to quench their thirst for some change, and PAS right now dominates that narrative. PAS, for better or worse, is consistent in calling for there to be a new Malaysia - one that is more steadfast in the beliefs of Islam, sure, but a new Malaysia nonetheless.


In my article about rejecting Kulturkampf, embracing Klassenkampf, I touched on the points about the appeal of Culture Warfare that parties like PAS bring: a sense of control in a world where there is increasingly less control, and there is some element of truth to the rhetoric they bring to the Malaysian public. The wealthiest in our society do not pay enough in taxes, and many of our fresh graduates and young workers are getting screwed over by the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence by corporate interests, which seek to suppress wages to pad out their bottom line. To change the narrative in the Malaysian political scene, DAP - the party that is supposed to be social democratic, or even democratic socialist in its foundational documents - can take lessons from New York City's recent mayoral race.


Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, won the closely watched New York City mayoral race, beating out Andrew Cuomo by 9 points - and Mamdani himself won 50.4% of the vote, giving him a majority and a clear mandate to govern New York City. He was very focused in his campaign speeches and his rhetoric, with there being one central message: affordability. He proposed raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations to pay for free buses and running a chain of city-owned grocery stores. Additionally, he promised to build 200,000 more housing units over the next 10 years, implement a rent freeze, and implement universal childcare for every New Yorker - all reported by the Guardian. He even promised to make the minimum wage in New York City $30.00/hour by 2030, which will close the gap between what is considered a livable wage and the current minimum wage, which, at the moment, is nowhere close, according to the Economic Policy Institute.


Writer's Recommendations and Final Thoughts

While I am not saying that the lesson from the New York City election will necessarily be just a plug-and-play in the Malaysian context, there are still some parallels that can be drawn from there to here: the richest in society aren't being adequately taxed, affordability is a significant issue in modern Malaysian society, and feelings on cultural issues run high. However, it was economic, bread-and-butter issues that won the day for Zohran Mamdani in New York City and other Democrats across the United States in the off-year elections.


For the DAP to reclaim the narrative between now and the next election, they need to focus on the bread-and-butter issues, and not worry too highly about the cultural issues that the neoliberal right flank (Red Faction) likes to emphasise, like on the question of vernacular schools. A strictly focused strategy on social democratic or democratic socialist values would be a breath of fresh air for the Malaysian political scene and a signal to voters that they do not need to choose between religious extremists and the narrative of "we are better than him", while pointing to a nearly 80 year old man in a songkok, angrily yelling about radical Islam and how it can be implemented in the lands we call home.


My humble advice to Anthony Loke and his closest advisors would be not to be afraid to speak up and propose social democratic proposals that will help the ordinary Malaysian. Stop being just another cabinet member, and start being an effective party leader - for where there is an effective party leader, there comes principles and a clear direction; something that the Malaysian political scene sorely needs.



Timothy (timothytanyeantim@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!