DAP reminded of its roots as “opposition with fangs; don’t simply kowtow to PMX’s whims and fancies”

DAP reminded of its roots as “opposition with fangs; don’t simply kowtow to PMX’s whims and fancies”





SUCH is the feeling on the ground after DAP found itself jolted by absolute rejection in the 17th Sabah state election.


Having been part of the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition for three years now, many presumed grassroots members/backers believe there is no denial that the party has proven itself “to function best in the opposition bench”.


They were responding to the sentiment expressed by party secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook who admitted that the Sabah polls has served as a timely wake-up call on “a serious confidence crisis faced by both DAP and PH”.

The Democratic Action Party convened an emergency Central Executive Committee meeting tonight (2 December) to deliberate on the outcome of the Sabah state election.

We have received a strong and unmistakable message from the voters. It is undeniable that this election reflects a serious crisis of confidence faced by both DAP and Pakatan Harapan.

Leaders and members involved in the campaign were made aware of the widespread public dissatisfaction throughout the campaign trail....

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As it is, the general feeling is that while being part of the Madani establishment, DAP must have the mentality and tenacity of the opposition by “walk the talk that you all had when DAP was opposition”.

“When you stand with Truth, Truth will stand with you and Justice will follow,” philosophised Penangite and Old Xavierian Nicholas Fletcher.



“Be Brave. Be Bold. Be True. Remember (the late) Karpal Singh (former DAP’s national chairman).”

Beyond that, DAP’s soul-searching must encompass an all-out effort not to continue betraying the trust and expectations of voters by compromising its ethics or being sub-servient to the majority race.



But not all have faith that DAP is able to get back its fangs this time around despite its pledge “to compile all feedback received and work closely with the Prime Minister to accelerate the reform agenda over the next six months”.

This prompted sarcasm such as “keep this template (the statement) for next GE (general election)” or the citing of Circassian proverb “when a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king; the palace becomes a circus”.

One even regretted his family having supported DAP for three generation, hence “not anymore; my late father will rise from the grave to say ‘podah’ (Tamil for ‘go away’)”.



One commenter hit the nail on the head by stating that while Loke “is a good servant. the Chinese wants a leader”.

“Hardly a whimper from DAP when things went the other way. Yes, yes, you need to prove yourselves to the majority race that you can serve well but the Nons (non-Muslims) want a leader who can be their voice – not cower in silence when PMX (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) swings his stick the wrong way.”



On the bright side, some commenters believe that DAP’s total wipe-out in the Sabah polls would have no bearing on its performance in the peninsula.

“This time, the Chinese community in Sabah cast their votes for Warisan not because they oppose Chinese-based parties or PH,” opined one commenter.

“In fact, many Warisan candidates in Chinese-concentrated constituencies are themselves Chinese. To say that they do not support Chinese representation would be incorrect. Their choice not to vote for PH stems from a deeper conviction: the homeland of Sabahans should be governed by Sabahans themselves.”



At the end of the day, it is inevitable that the time is ripe “to overhaul the 60 plus year old Rocket”.

“Dust everywhere, inside engine, outside engine, seats and screen to change to LED instead of black and white. Time to change rocket to stealth to reflect the more sophisticated team,” reckoned one party observer. – Dec 3, 2025