SHAH ALAM (March 16): The Democratic Action Party (DAP), the largest party in the country’s ruling coalition, has pledged its support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to remain in office after the 16th General Election (GE16).

This stance applies regardless of any future political configuration, whether within the existing government partnership or a new arrangement, said DAP secretary general Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

“We will continue to uphold the principle that the prime minister representing Pakatan Harapan (PH) will be none other than Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, with no second candidate,” Loke said in his speech at the party’s 18th National Congress in Shah Alam on Sunday.

Malaysia is currently governed by a Unity Coalition led by Anwar, comprising four major political alliances: PH, Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah — encompassing a total of 19 political parties. DAP is a key component of Anwar’s PH bloc.

The country must hold elections by November 2027, though the prime minister has the discretion to call for earlier polls.

Addressing party delegates, Loke reaffirmed DAP’s commitment to PH’s previous general election manifesto, particularly in pursuing two additional amendments to the Federal Constitution within the next two years.

This includes limiting the prime minister’s tenure to a maximum of 10 years.

“This is not a call for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to step down, but rather an effort to establish this amendment as part of his legacy in reforming the country’s governance system,” Loke said.

He also expressed hope that the long discussed separation of the prosecution service from the Attorney General’s office would be realised, emphasising that the government is already working towards this reform.

Meanwhile, Loke also proposed several institutional changes within DAP, particularly a more transparent candidate evaluation system for internal elections.

He suggested that the candidate selection committee be institutionalised within the party constitution, to counter claims that the committee lacks legitimacy.

However, he acknowledged that these changes would require a constitutional amendment, which could only be brought forward at DAP's national congress 18 months from now.

“This will be one of the key tasks for the new Central Executive Committee (CEC), which will then propose the constitutional amendment at the (DAP's) national convention in 2026,” he said.

In addition, Loke also proposed the formal establishment of several new positions within the CEC, and their inclusion in the party constitution, including a parliamentary leader, selected from non-Cabinet party members of Parliament (MPs), as well as a strategy director, policy director, and an election director.

Following Loke’s speech, DAP is set to hold its party election, with 70 candidates contesting for 30 seats.

The election follows a two-tier process — party members do not vote directly. Instead, party branches elect delegates, who then vote for candidates competing for positions in the CEC.

The top 30 vote-winners will serve a three-year term in the CEC, which will later convene internally to elect key office bearers, including the secretary general.

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