DAP’s decision to remain in the Cabinet has drawn contrasting views from political analysts, with one saying the party still has room to rebuild trust while another believes there is little it can do from within the government.
Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia said DAP could still use its position in government to push for promised reforms and rebuild confidence among its supporters.
However, Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said there was “almost nothing” DAP could do from within the Cabinet to regain its core support.
Delegates at a special congress on Aug 16 to decide the party’s future in government voted overwhelmingly to keep their leaders in the Cabinet until the end of the current government’s term.
A Kuala Lumpur delegate, Sangeet Kaur Deo, summed up the sentiment by saying the party should “stay for now” despite growing dissatisfaction among its supporters.
However, Sangeet, a Kuala Lumpur DAP committee member, said the party needed to reassess its relationship with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and regain its voice.
She said the numerous compromises made by DAP had caused the party to appear muted.
The special congress followed DAP’s wipeout in the Sabah election, as well as Pakatan Harapan’s heavy defeats in Johor and Negeri Sembilan.
DAP can still rebuild trust through reforms
Syaza said DAP could still justify its presence in the Cabinet by pushing harder for reforms and holding its partners in the unity government accountable.
She said the party needed to demonstrate that progress in fulfilling promised reforms was achieved because DAP was part of the government.
This, she said, would be more effective than simply highlighting the performance of its ministers while blaming Anwar or other partners when reforms stalled.
“DAP cannot simply say, ‘we have good ministers, but it is the fault of the prime minister or others that certain reforms are unsuccessful’,” she said.
Syaza pointed out that, from the public’s perspective, the government was one entity rather than a collection of separate parts with different responsibilities.
She said institutional reforms offered DAP its best opportunity to demonstrate its influence because such measures were less likely to become entangled in racial politics.
“What DAP needs to show is that the government is pushing ahead with institutional reforms because DAP is there to help navigate and ensure promises are fulfilled,” she said.
Syaza said declining electoral support alone should not be a reason for DAP to withdraw from the government, as doing so could make the party appear to be avoiding responsibility for the government’s failures.
Analyst warns DAP could lose core support
Oh, however, took a different view, saying government decisions regarded as regressive by non-Malay voters could further erode DAP’s support because its ministers were bound by collective Cabinet responsibility.
He cited the “kuil haram” or “illegal temples” issue as one of several contentious matters.
He said Anwar’s order to local councils in February to take action against those responsible for constructing Hindu temples without proper approval would only alienate non-Malay voters.
In July, Anwar apologised for using the term “kuil haram” when discussing the issue, acknowledging that it was a mistake.
For that reason alone, Oh said DAP would be better off leaving the Cabinet while continuing to support the government in the Dewan Rakyat.
“That way, it registers its protest over a decision that it does not support without bringing down the government,” Oh told FMT.
He said DAP would expose itself to greater risks by remaining in the Cabinet while failing to deliver the changes expected by its core supporters.
“The party needs to consolidate its core non-Malay support. Otherwise, it will not just fail to win the Malay support it craves but will even lose its traditional non-Malay base. That way, it ends up like Gerakan,” he said.
