MCA veteran labels DAP’s planned congress as ‘controlled drama’

FORMER MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker has dismissed DAP’s announcement of a special congress on July 12 to decide its position in the Madani government as “controlled drama” unlikely to result in any actual withdrawal from the ruling coalition.

In a statement responding to the announcement, Ti argued that threats by parties in power to leave government are often a mechanism to manage internal dissent rather than a genuine intention to exit.

“When a party in power declares it will let a congress or annual general meeting decide whether to remain in government, it generates heat but rarely real change,” he said.

The DAP congress is scheduled to determine whether party officeholders should relinquish their roles as ministers, deputy ministers, state executive councillors, local councillors, and members of government-linked companies, while continuing to provide parliamentary support to the unity administration, according to secretary-general Anthony Loke.

Ti described such moves as political theatre intended to energise grassroots members while preserving the status quo. Drawing parallels with past experiences in MCA, he noted that heightened rhetoric around party delegates deciding the party’s future has historically been followed by a decision to remain in government.

“Parties holding cabinet posts and institutional influence are unlikely to relinquish power voluntarily, given the political and material costs of returning to the opposition bench,” he said.

He added that DAP’s leadership faces significant stakes in maintaining its role in the federal administration, pointing out that participation in Putrajaya marked a major shift from the party’s long-standing opposition identity.

Ti also cited the resignation and subsequent political return of Ewon Benedict in Sabah as an example of what he described as “tactical withdrawal and reunification,” suggesting that similar manoeuvres could occur ahead of the next general election.

“What is presented as democratic drama is often elite management of optics,” Ti said, emphasising that coalition politics in a fragmented system tends to favour continuity over rupture.

The July 12 congress is now being closely watched as a test of DAP’s internal cohesion, but Ti’s assessment signals scepticism that the meeting will result in any substantive change to the party’s position within the Madani government. - February 20, 2026