‘Stay in govt’ mood prevails among DAP delegates, vote pending

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) held a one-day special congress in Putrajaya, with over 4,000 delegates gathering to discuss the party's future direction. The delegates from across Malaysia expressed a strong desire to remain in the federal government, believing it essential for delivering reforms and fulfilling the mandate bestowed by voters. However, concerns were raised about the government's performance and the pace of reforms.

Delegates from various states, including Perak, Selangor, Sarawak, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, and Perlis, voiced their support for the party staying in the Cabinet. They argued that leaving the administration would only benefit the ruling coalition, Perikatan Nasional, and not the DAP itself. They emphasized the long struggle the party underwent to secure its position in Putrajaya and the importance of not abandoning it now.

Soo Tien Ren, a delegate from Sarawak, described leaving the government as "political suicide" and urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to relinquish the finance minister portfolio. He called for equal allocations to all MPs, including opposition lawmakers, and for the government to abolish the Sedition Act. Wong Bor Yang, a delegate from Johor, acknowledged the DAP's crucial role in forming the unity government after the 2022 general election but stressed that the reform agenda is far from complete.

Some delegates acknowledged growing public dissatisfaction with the government, citing issues such as the Azam Baki shareholding case, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's Yayasan Akalbudi DNAA, and the "corporate mafia." They argued that the DAP should not follow the path of "Parti Sakau" and instead should pressure the government for further reforms while remaining in the Cabinet until the next general election.