THE Democratic Action Paty (DAP) will remain a multiracial party despite decades of accusations that it represents only one community, secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said on Sunday.
Loke said the party’s 60-year political struggle had been centred on justice, democracy and equal opportunity for all Malaysians, rather than the interests of any particular ethnic group.
“Today, DAP is 60 years old. As secretary-general in 2026, I want to state firmly at this congress that DAP will remain a multiracial party for Malaysians,” he said in his policy speech at the DAP National Congress at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).
He said DAP’s identity should not be defined by race, stressing that its focus was on advancing Malaysia as a whole.
“Our struggle is not about any one race, but about the progress of Malaysians.
“We want to make Malaysia a progressive country, a diverse multiracial society where we can all live together in peace and harmony,” said Loke, who is also Transport Minister.
Loke said DAP had never adopted policies intended to antagonise any particular community, but acknowledged that perceptions of the party as being exclusively Chinese had remained one of its biggest political challenges.
“For decades, we have faced various accusations and allegations that DAP is only for one race. But this has been the biggest challenge in our political struggle,” he said.
He said overcoming racial politics remained a long-standing challenge for DAP, dating back to its early years.
“For 60 years, from the 1970s until today, the challenge remains the same — how do we break down the walls of racial politics?” he said.
Loke said DAP would continue positioning itself as a party for Malaysians across racial and religious lines while pursuing a more progressive and inclusive Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Loke apologised to DAP delegates following his defeat in the Chennah state seat in the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan election.
He said he was disappointed at failing to retain the seat in the Jelebu parliamentary constituency, which he had represented since 2013.
However, Loke said his decision to contest Chennah was not driven by personal ambition, but was intended to demonstrate that DAP could win support from voters of different backgrounds, including in a Bumiputera-majority constituency.
“I contested in an area that was difficult, with one hope — to show that DAP can win the support of voters from different races and that we can also win in a Bumiputera-majority area,” he said.
“But I admit that this mission was not successful. We did not get strong support from Malay voters, although we received between 20 and 25 per cent. We also did not get strong support from the Orang Asli community.”
Loke said the result underscored the challenge facing DAP in overcoming barriers to wider acceptance among Malaysia’s diverse communities.
He reiterated that the party’s political struggle was not about representing any particular race, but about advancing the interests of Malaysians as a whole.
“For decades, DAP has been accused of being a party for only one race. But that remains one of the biggest challenges in our political struggle.
“For 60 years, from the 1970s until today, we have faced the same challenge — how to break through the barriers of racial politics?” he said. - August 16, 2026
