DAP SPECIAL CONGRESS A PLATFORM TO REAFFIRM REFORM AGENDA, NOT A THREAT TO GOVT - ANALYST

KUALA KUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- The DAP special congress scheduled for July 12 is seen as a significant political development, with potential implications for the party’s survival, Cabinet dynamics, economic sentiment, and strategies ahead of the next general election.

Political analyst Associate Professor Dr Mazlan Ali is of the view that the special congress will serve as a political platform or strategy for DAP to reaffirm its commitment to the reform agenda, rather than as a warning or threat to the MADANI Government.

He said the move to convene the special congress is more accurately interpreted as a ‘stern reminder’ from DAP to the government leadership to expedite the implementation of institutional reforms, which have long been among the core struggles of the party and Pakatan Harapan (PH).

“DAP continues to support the government and the Prime Minister. Therefore, the congress is not a threat to withdraw support, but rather a form of internal political pressure to ensure that reform promises are implemented according to the expected timeline,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Earlier today, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke reportedly said that the congress would provide space for delegates to decide whether its leaders should relinquish all government posts, while stressing that the party’s 40 Members of Parliament (MPs) would continue to support the government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim until the end of the current term.

Mazlan said the move could also be viewed as a form of a ‘friendly referendum’ aimed at DAP voters, particularly among urban communities and the party’s traditional support base, who want to see more tangible progress in areas such as integrity, governance, and the separation of powers between the public prosecution institution and the Attorney General.

Such commitments are among the institutional reforms outlined in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) manifesto during the 15th General Election (GE15) in 2022, aimed, among others, at preventing the concentration of power and ensuring transparency in government administration.

According to the director of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur campus, the organisation of the special congress is also part of DAP’s political survival strategy following its less-than-encouraging performance in the recent Sabah state election.

“DAP may feel that one of the factors behind voter rejection is the perception that reforms have not been fully implemented. Therefore, this congress serves as a platform to show that the party remains consistent and serious in pursuing the reform agenda,” he said.

Commenting on the possibility of DAP leaders relinquishing their Cabinet posts as a ‘signal’ to the Unity Government to accelerate the reform agenda while continuing to support the government, Mazlan said that such a scenario would not necessarily undermine administrative stability as long as the party’s 40 MPs continue to back the government in the Dewan Rakyat.

He explained that in addition to PH, the Unity Government currently comprises several other coalition partners, including including Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS). As such, any implementation of reforms must take into account the interests of all coalition partners.

“The Prime Minister cannot implement reforms solely based on the expectations of DAP or PH, but must also consider other coalition partners who have their own manifestos, which may differ from or even conflict with the aspirations of DAP or PH,” he said.

From the perspective of Cabinet dynamics, Mazlan Ali said that should any DAP ministers or deputy ministers resign, the resulting vacancies would likely be filled by other component parties to ensure the smooth continuity of governance.

He stressed that this was not a matter of power struggles, but rather the necessity of filling vacancies to ensure that government and ministerial functions are not disrupted.

Commenting on the economic impact, he opined that the special congress would not affect investor confidence as long as the government remains intact and the majority of MPs supporting the Unity Government do not withdraw their backing.

“Investors would only be concerned if support were withdrawn to the point that the government collapses or a hung Parliament emerges. As long as that does not happen, this issue is more of an internal party matter rather than a government problem that could negatively affect the economy,” he said.

Overall, Mazlan viewed the special congress as an internal DAP process aimed at strengthening the party’s standing among voters without undermining government stability. However, he noted that the extent of its impact would depend on the decisions reached and how they are managed and communicated to the public.

-- BERNAMA