Poor congress turnout suggests things are not well in DAP, says Rama

Former DAP leader P Ramasamy has expressed concern over the low turnout of delegates at his former party's special congress. Only 2,223 out of 4,264 delegates, or 52%, attended the event, which was held to vote on a major party decision. Ramasamy deemed this attendance rate "abysmally low" for such an important gathering. Instead of focusing on the number of attendees who supported the motion, he argued that DAP should investigate why nearly 50% of delegates failed to show up.

If more absent delegates had been present, the motion to remain in the government might have been defeated. The significant absence of delegates suggests that all is not well within the DAP party, and it may also indicate a lack of support for the motion to stay in the government, Ramasamy stated in a statement. The DAP leadership should consider whether the congress decision truly reflects the sentiments of the majority of party members.

Of the 2,223 delegates who attended, 2,099 voted on whether the party should continue to be part of the government, with 1,857 in favor and 242 opposed. DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook downplayed the turnout by stating that such high attendance is usually only seen during party elections. However, Ramasamy dismissed his criticism, emphasizing that the Aug 16 congress was a critical moment determining the party's political direction following poor electoral results in Sabah, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan.

The party had portrayed the congress as a "do-or-die" situation, expecting at least 80% to 90% of delegates to attend.