DAP’s dilemma: damned if you do, damned if you don’t

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) finds itself in a difficult position, caught between two tough decisions. It can either leave Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government and support him from the outside, or remain in government and push him to accelerate the reform programme before the 2016 General Election (GE16).

Choosing to leave the government would allow DAP to avoid blame if there are no significant reforms. This would also appease the party's hardcore supporters, demonstrating that it has retained its credibility as a force for reform. However, it is unlikely that staying on the sidelines will improve DAP's chances in GE16, as non-Malay voters are already disenchanted with the People's Alliance (PH) for failing to fulfill their hopes for reform.

If DAP opts to remain in government, it has limited time to push Anwar to speed up the reform programme. The party, along with its PH partners, PKR and Amanah, has been striving for this reform for over a quarter-century. However, Anwar has been criticized for his handling of various issues, such as his conversion ceremony for a Hindu youth, his response to a student's question about meritocracy in university admissions, his leniency towards the Jakim in terms of government policy, his embrace of Hamas, and his use of the French Revolution's haste in dealing with his own slow pace of reform.

DAP must make a decision at its upcoming meeting to either stay in government and push Anwar to act, or leave and face criticism for being untrustworthy. Anwar cannot expect to secure a second term as prime minister, as PH's reversals in the Johor and Negri Sembilan state polls suggest more setbacks are on the horizon. Therefore, Madani must transform itself into a coalition focused on expedited reform, even if it results in a loss in GE16.

This would be preferable to the recent defeats in Sabah, Johor, and Negri Sembilan, which may foreshadow a disappointing finale for Reformasi diehards.