Can the DAP go it Alone?

Malaysia’s ruling party is at its lowest ever ebb since it was formed but ironically, the opposition is also at its weakest in the history of Malaysia, keeping aside the number of seats in Parliament.

Malaysians are disillusioned with the state of affairs on both ends and there are murmurs that the opposition and Barisan Nasional are not as different as they seem to be.

Factions within PAS are seeming to be UMNO’s prima donna, some have labeled PKR as a party which is very unstable, leading many to believe that the DAP is the most stable to take on Barisan Nasional in the next General Elections.

But can they do it alone?

The only social democratic party in Malaysia — on paper at least — has strayed away from its roots to resemble a more conservative answer to the current regime. ‘Social capitalist’, as a good friend pointed out.

In recent times, the DAP has attracted considerable interest from Malaysians from various walks of life and has seen entrants from even the likes of former PAS members. Such a situation would never have been thought of a decade ago; positive signs indeed.

‘Malaysian Malaysia’ is a good base to launch its assault from, but changing a rancid system of government needs to go beyond that.

The people of Malaysia need to be shown a viable alternative to UMNO, not just a corrupt-free opposition.

To achieve that, the DAP needs to go back to its social democratic roots and propose projects which can provide Malaysians with a road-map to the future.

One which answers the challenges being faced by people, an inequitable tax system, a dysfunctional structure of education, and most importantly, to embrace an inclusive approach by involving Malaysians in concrete decision-making processes.

And as yet, it hasn’t demonstrated that it can do this alone.

Which means it needs to be able to work optimally in a new coalition, not based on circumstance, but one founded on constructive policies which is willing to take the risk by experimenting.

The DAP can start by rebuilding a clear identity which Malaysians can associate themselves with.

The Pakatan Rakyat we knew lived in a cocoon for 7 years and blew up because it played by UMNO’s rules. It was unwilling to push the boat as far as it could and all three parties foolishly thought they could beat UMNO at its own game.

That was doomed to fail because the rules were set by UMNO.

What the DAP needs to be focusing on is to rewrite those rules on how politics should pan out. Malaysians must be engaged in a constructive manner, including heeding the calls by civil society groups.

To realise a holistic change, the DAP has to also accept new ideas, allow for open discussions and constructive criticism, especially recreating that ever-important link with non-governmental organisations.

If the DAP can grab the bull by the horns and chart a new path for the embryonic opposition coalition, the Malaysian dream could very well become a reality.

(This post first appeared on The Malay Mail Online's 'What You Think' column, July 7th 2015 http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/can-the-dap-go-it-alone-jay-jay-denis)

Jay Jay Denis
Policy Researcher,
Malaysia.