DAP should remain in the federal government for now, but it cannot afford to ignore growing concerns over its relationship with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Selangor delegate Sangeet Kaur Deo said today.
Speaking at DAP’s special congress in Putrajaya, Sangeet said staying in government would give the party time to rebuild public trust and confidence, but warned that this should not come at the expense of speaking up on issues that matter to the party and its supporters.
She said DAP ministers had delivered a number of reforms and initiatives, but the party must also confront problems that had emerged since it joined the federal administration.
“We can point to the reforms carried out by our ministers, and there have been many. At ministry level, there are strong initiatives.
“But we cannot ignore the bigger problems facing the party. On too many issues, we have chosen to remain silent because we do not want to rock the stability of the government,” she said.
Sangeet said DAP also had to answer questions over corruption, particularly after entering government on a promise to push for greater accountability.
“We were given a mandate to govern on the promise of fighting corruption. Have we done it? Not yet,” she said.
She cited Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi being granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) on 47 charges, as well as controversies involving national institutions, including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
Sangeet questioned whether Umno could be regarded as a genuine coalition partner, saying the party had continued to attack DAP despite both being part of the same federal government.
“Are they really coalition partners we can work with? I urge the Central Executive Committee to seriously reassess our relationship with Anwar.
“Instead of bringing coalition partners together, what has he done? He has divided us and pitted one side against another. He has strengthened Umno. We cannot ignore this,” she said.
DAP is holding its one-day special congress at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, where more than 4,000 delegates are expected to vote on whether the party should remain in the unity government until the end of the current parliamentary term.
Separately, DAP should stay in the unity government until the end of the 16th Parliament, 14 delegates told the party’s special national congress today.
The delegates argued that walking away would leave DAP with less influence over federal policy and limit its ability to push for changes from within the administration.
Kedah delegate Lim Hooi Yee said the party should not make its decision based solely on its recent setbacks in the state elections.
She said leaving the government would not automatically solve the problems faced by DAP or the country.
“Just because of that defeat, we should not punish the entire federal government or put the future of the people and the country at risk,” Lim said during the congress at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
She said DAP might have more freedom to criticise the government from outside, but would lose its place in the room where major decisions are made.
“If we leave today, will everything be better tomorrow? No.
“We may have the space to shout and criticise, but we will lose the most important space — a seat at the decision-making table to defend the people and fix policies that are going wrong,” she said.
The special congress was called to decide whether DAP will remain in the federal government until the end of the current parliamentary term.
More than 4,200 delegates are expected to vote on the motion tabled by DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke on behalf of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Lim stressed that staying in government did not mean DAP had to agree with everything the administration does.
“If a policy goes wrong, we speak up. When it comes to integrity, we must remain consistent, whether it involves a friend or an opponent.
“Our job is not to become the government’s voice to the people. Our bigger responsibility is to be the people’s voice within government,” she said.
Lim also said political opponents were using racial and religious issues in an attempt to weaken DAP and the unity government.
“If we leave today, we are only giving them a free victory,” she said.
Gooi: DAP should stay and fight
Penang delegate Daniel Gooi Zi Sen said DAP should remain in the government and continue pushing for its agenda from within.
He said the party had faced difficult periods before, including in Penang, but had managed to build its position through years of political work.
Gooi said DAP should not abandon that approach simply because it was facing setbacks.
“If we had given up then, we would not have achieved what we have today in Penang,” he said.
“We are a party that does not retreat. We will continue to fight.”
The other delegates who spoke in support of DAP remaining in government were Azaha Abdul Rani (Kelantan), Muhammad Shakir Ameer Mohideen (Selangor), Ng Chai Hing (Terengganu), Soo Tien Ren (Sarawak) and Jason Ng Thien Yong (Perak).
They were followed by S Mugunthan (Negeri Sembilan), Leong Ngah Ngah (Pahang), Wong Bor Yang (Johor), Sangeet Deo (Kuala Lumpur), Jason Tze-Xi Nathan (Melaka), Chew Chin Lee (Perlis) and Yap Wui Lip (Sabah). - August 16, 2026
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