DAP must be more sensitive to Malays

Efforts by Pakatan Rakyat governments to woo Malay support are simply not enough, says DAP's Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim.

SHAH ALAM: DAP needs to be more sensitive to Malay culture if it wants to win their hearts and minds, a party leader said.

Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim said that if the DAP was not careful, it would be targeted by Umno and the mainstream media.

“We have to be sensitive to the traditions and culture of the Malays, (otherwise) Umno will use their media, Utusan Malaya and TV3  to slander us and spread propaganda in the villages about how bad the DAP is,” he told delegates at the 2012 DAP Conference.

Ng added that the Umno-linked media would often paint the DAP as “anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-monarchy, a Chinese and communist party”.

He said this after stressing to delegates present that the Malay support was very important.

Ng added that the efforts by some Pakatan state governments was simply not enough.

He said despite having been around since the mid-60s, DAP was still perceived as a predominantly Chinese-based party, causing many Malays to shy away from it.

This perception, however, according to DAP members, is changing, albeit slowly.

Earlier today, former Umno veterans Ariff Sabri Aziz and Aspan Alias were introduced into the DAP’s fold.

Both bloggers were influential figures in Umno and have post 2008 been highly critical about their party.

Aspan when met today said his reason for quitting Umno was  because of the ‘corruption within Umno, racial issues, and because DAP is most disciplined”.

‘Time to win over Malays’

Bukit Bintang Baru branch member Azhari Ismail said that Umno politicians tended to look down on Malays who joined the DAP.

“All sorts of Umno people have slandered Malays in the DAP like me, calling us, ‘the unlucky DAP Malays’.

“But I say, I am not unlucky to be in the DAP. I am proud to be in the DAP, even though I am not an MP,” Azhari said.

Even so, he admitted that the Malays were still apprehensive about approaching the DAP.

Describing it as a “big problem”,  Azhari said that other races had been giving their assistance to the party willingly, but Malays have remained hesitant.

Nevertheless, he  claimed that many people in his area had lost hope in the various BN parties.

“Now we need to win their hearts,” he said.