YOURSAY | “We dare to vote for any party that dares to fight for the rakyat.”

Resign or stay? DAP to decide govt roles on July 12, says Loke

OceanMasterII: DAP will hold a special congress on July 12, in which its delegates will determine whether its officeholders should step down from all government positions.

Unless DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke is setting this up as a negotiating tactic, in the long history of nation-building, coalition politics will always be messy.

But DAP’s impact has been clear: when its senior leaders hold real positions in cabinet and state governments, governance does improve, and more delivery is visible.

Influence comes from power - and once you give up the seat, the fall is immediate.

Today’s landscape is already dominated by loud, flame-throwing, 3R politics, while minorities are shrinking proportionally and racial fault lines are widening.

Many non-Malays feel uneasy, especially amid Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s mixed signals - the familiar “cakap tak serupa bikin” (not walking the talk).

Having said that, this is not the time to retreat to the sidelines. In Malaysian politics, being on the sidelines is merely a “feel-good” effect.

The only rational path is firm negotiation from within. To believe influence can be preserved without holding power is simply political naivety.

IndigoGoat3056: It is already too late for the DAP special congress - this looks like an afterthought.

When DAP decided to join with BN to form the federal government under Anwar, it had already gone against the wishes of many voters.

How can DAP join hands with its long-time political opponent simply to secure power? The party should have remained as a principled opposition instead of entering government at the cost of its credibility.

Now, statements by Loke about reviewing government roles seem reactive rather than strategic.

Once the decision to govern with former rivals was made, the political consequences were inevitable.

Limfly: How does stepping down from your position while still supporting the Madani government solve anything?

You are still supporting their actions - rather, no action in most cases. Doing this will only embolden the unprincipled.

What the supporters want from DAP is to speak up, make their stand clear, fight for what is right and fair to all, and be seen doing it, when the other parties in the unity government lack truth, justice, and fairness.

My perception of DAP is that it has reneged on its promises and compromised on its principles.

DAP thinks that it can change things from within, but the perception is that it is being led by the nose.

The leaders of DAP, including government ministers, need to call out the words and actions of those who perpetuate lies, injustices, and unfairness, including those of Anwar and powerful people.

If you decide to hold on to your positions, leverage them to fight for what is right. If not, give up everything, including supporting the government.

FellowMalaysian: I welcome the coming congress referendum by DAP’s 4,000 central delegates to determine whether the party should step down from all government posts and positions.

It is time for the party to make this very important decision, as we have seen lately that some top leaders in the party are seen to be acting in a “subservient” way, pleasing Anwar’s government at the expense of ignoring the complaints and criticisms on some contentious issues raised by the public.

If the party is incapable of representing and voicing the concerns of the masses, they should be relieved of all roles they are currently holding in government and government-linked companies, including ministerial posts.

Blue Lights: Better to stay in the government. Much more good work can be done inside the government than outside looking in.

Nothing and no one is perfect. Why criticise and throw jabs?

We are living in an AI world where the world moves at breakneck speed. Events can change direction, so even our destiny changes in the next second.

How can we expect DAP to represent us when we start blaming each other if things go south?

Grow up! Idealism has no place in this imperfect world.

Even in your own family, spouses quarrel, siblings quarrel, some make up, some break up, but it is a given that when families stay together, more good decisions are made!

Branches break singly, but cannot break when held together. Simple as that. Stay and be a united force against detractors and the opposition.

BlueShark1548: This is a first and great precedent set by Loke, a democratic process.

Of course, if the majority approves DAP remaining in government, DAP MPs may be silenced in their criticisms of the prime minister. Is this a blank cheque for Anwar?

Hopefully, Anwar can carry out the promised reforms in Harapan’s manifesto before July.

If not, the DAP congress should decide to leave the government to preserve its integrity and credibility.

In the next general election, it would secure more than 40 MPs, and MCA/MIC would be irrelevant in Malaysian politics. PKR and Umno will be decimated by the majority.

DAP can then join a new coalition headed by East Malaysians.

Headhunter: With the mass resignations in Bersatu, a major change is taking shape right now, albeit directionless.

DAP could ride on the opportunity to form a new alliance with them if it intends to leave the government.

Frankly, remaining in the government is not a good option, as they are not seen to be able to enjoy Anwar’s confidence but are cast as the fall guy instead of being treated as a full partner.

It’s akin to MCA all over again. Maybe this could be a new era for Malaysian politics, but only if all partners are treated equally, with no one party dominating the others.

Tainted leaders should also be cast aside and let a new generation of clean and capable leaders take over in the new coalition.

I believe this would be the best option for the country now.

Leadership should be shared and not dominated by a single individual. History has shown that such a scenario didn’t work in the past and led to massive corruption and political instability.

GreenSalmon1394: I would truly salute all the DAP ministers if they chose to resign from their current positions and continue fighting wholeheartedly for the people.

However, I am sceptical that this will happen, as many of them appear comfortable in their roles and seem to have drifted away from the party’s core principle of standing firmly for the rakyat.

Brother Loke, I believe your team will neither resign nor push Anwar more strongly for meaningful reforms.

I hope to be proven wrong. We dare to vote for any party that dares to fight for the rakyat.

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