PUTRAJAYA (Aug 16): Delegates of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) have voted to remain within the unity government.
The decision, supported by 1,857 or 88.2% of the delegates in attendance at the party’s national congress on Sunday, means DAP will retain its five Cabinet positions and seven deputy minister posts, while continuing to play a leading role in the unity government. DAP is the largest party in the unity government with 40 MPs.
The attendance of 2,016 delegates was a little under half of the party’s total 4,265 nationwide delegates, which secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook considered high compared with that of normal annual congresses.
Loke dismissed claims that the vote was DAP’s method to put pressure on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, pointing out that the reforms it is pushing are those agreed upon in the unity government.
“DAP’s agenda is what is agreed upon in PH (Pakatan Harapan) and in the unity government. This includes the separation of powers of the attorney general and the public prosecutor, limiting the prime minister’s term to two terms, and the agenda to fight corruption,” Loke said.
“There are also several things in the short term, several proposed changes to e-invoicing, the quota for RON95 and diesel, which we brought to the Cabinet, which were also brought by Umno president [Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi],” he added.
DAP’s five ministers in the Cabinet include Loke as transport minister, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, and Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim.
The party also currently holds seven deputy ministerial posts at the Ministry of Finance, Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ministry of Youth and Sports and Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.
DAP won’t rock unity government over Umno
Meanwhile, Loke said DAP would not rock the unity government despite acknowledging differences between parties in the coalition, particularly with Umno.
He noted that Anwar had discussed with the PH leadership council his decision to retain Barisan Nasional (BN), with Umno as its lynchpin, in the unity government.
“The prime minister has his views and considerations. He wanted the government to remain stable, so that’s important for any agenda to be implemented.
“We do not wish to create instability within the government,” Loke said.
Asked whether DAP was happy to work with Umno, Loke said delegates had voted for the party to remain in government, reflecting their wishes despite knowing that DAP would have to continue working with Umno.
“This is the political reality that all the delegates understood,” he said.