DAP risks becoming like MCA, says Ronnie Liu

FMT:

DAP risks becoming like MCA, says Ronnie Liu

The longtime former DAP member says some leaders have started to lose sight of the party’s long-held ideals since forming the government.

Ronnie Liew says certain members have been corrupted by the power, position and perks associated with being in government.


PETALING JAYA: Certain DAP leaders seem to have forgotten the party’s core values and are at risk of turning into figures like those in MCA, a longtime former DAP member said.

Without naming names, Ronnie Liu said that the behaviour of certain leaders was “already very close to MCA”.

“They may not know it (but) they are starting to say (things like), ‘we have to compromise’, ‘we have to look at the bigger picture’, ‘we’ll try to deal with the problem internally,’” Liu told FMT.

“MCA used to say these (same things) for a long time.”

Liu was responding to DAP critics who have compared the party to MCA now that the former is part of the government, with the latter long criticised for compromising to its larger Barisan Nasional partner, Umno.

Those critical of the party include former Petaling Jaya MP Kua Kia Soong, who said the party’s principles have been compromised by the opportunism some had displayed now that they were a part of the ruling coalition.

In response, Liu said it was important for DAP leaders to continue to speak up and openly express their views and opinions, particularly on issues like corruption and abuse of power.

“I hope that DAP will not forget about this. We want fairness, justice, democracy, freedom and equal rights.”

Some DAP leaders have started to lose sight of these ideals, he said, as “the ‘3 Ps’ (power, position and perks) have overwhelmed them.

“The ones (who have) tasted power, position and perks have lost sight of (their) values and virtues and why they’re in politics,” he said.

“This is not the way to go.”

Liu had previously announced that he would be leaving DAP after 41 years.

In a letter to DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, he said there had been many incidents that were “beyond my expectations”.