DAP LIKELY TO STAY IN GOVERNMENT: SOURCES
According to analysts and DAP leaders CNA spoke to, delegates are leaning towards its ministers remaining in the current government.
Former Johor assemblyperson Boo Cheng Hau said that while delegates overwhelmingly favour the DAP ministers staying in government, fulfilling PH’s manifesto promises remains a key caveat.
“Even though it would be tough to implement 100 per cent of the manifesto promises, there must be determination and sincerity to fulfil as much as possible before the end of the current term,” said Boo, who is eligible to vote at the congress.
He believes the party can still make a comeback after recent setbacks, but said DAP has to make clear its position on institutional and political reforms to its PH coalition partners and to other component parties in the unity government.
Boo added that an exit of DAP ministers from the government would delight its opponents and could even force snap elections.
“There could be an ‘earthquake’ if DAP left the Cabinet as we are a major party in the ruling coalition,” he said.
DAP holds 40 parliamentary seats in Malaysia’s 222-member lower house – the most seats in PH, which also comprises Anwar’s PKR and Parti Amanah Negara, which hold 29 and eight seats respectively.
DAP has said it will maintain parliamentary support for the government until the end of its term, even if its delegates vote for DAP’s ministers to quit.
Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran agreed that a DAP withdrawal from the Cabinet could easily trigger snap polls.
“It is not about Anwar wanting to dissolve the parliament but BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi using the DAP decision as a reason to pull support from the government and push for polls,” he explained.
He believed that while sentiments were mixed in the party, delegates would ultimately choose for DAP ministers to stay in the government.
“I think most feel that we will be better served if we stay … But there are still a few days left, so anything can happen,” he said.
DAP deputy secretary-general Ramkarpal Singh said: “We have left it to the delegates and there is no compulsion for them to vote in any certain way.”
In a statement on Aug 14, Ramkarpal said that while there are good reasons for DAP ministers to stay in the government for the remainder of the parliamentary term, he believed it should be made clear that delegates are at liberty to revisit their decision if there are compelling reasons to do so in future.
“It is important for this to be emphasised as there might be a false impression that a vote to remain in government for the rest of this parliamentary term equals a vote to remain no matter what, even if events that unfold in the future prove to be detrimental to the interests of the party,” he said.
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