Pumped-up DAP ready for combat

After 46 years of struggle, delegates and leaders at DAP's national conference last Sunday were all pumped up at the renewed prospect of ridding the BN regime from Putrajaya.

COMMENT

There is nothing better than starting the week, and 2012, with a massive surge of positive energy. The DAP national convention last Sunday in Shah Alam was certainly a focal point, and delegates and leaders alike approached the gathering with hope, excitement and great expectation. Those who came in with open hearts and ears did not leave disappointed.

The convention kicked off with veteran DAP chairman Karpal Singh prophetically declaring that he had no doubt in his mind that Anwar Ibrahim would be acquitted of the sodomy charge. Many of us hope the second part of his prophecy would come to pass as well, which is that Anwar would become the next prime minister.

With more than 1,000 branch representatives and observers in attendance, the entire hall exuded a huge amount of optimism. The VIP list included the likes of Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, PAS vice-president Mat Sabu, PKR vice-president Azmin Ali and PSM president Dr Nasir Hashim.

What was more remarkable was the presence of the French ambassador and New Zealand high commissioner as well as those from the Singapore, Australian and Japanese embassies. Clearly, this was an event to watch!

The wheelchair-bound and battle-scarred Karpal was not lacking in fire or zeal in his message. The DAP is now in a position, in partnership with Pakatan Rakyat, to sweep nine states and Putrajaya at the next general election. He spoke of closing ranks, effectively burying the “warlord-godfather” hatchet.

He went to great lengths to persuade the DAP members that Anwar is indeed a man of substance. Although the applause was less than enthusiastic, one could feel that attitudes towards the embattled opposition leader are indeed improving.

DAP members are beginning to accept the idea of Anwar becoming the next prime minister as they are now, more than ever, determined to remove the Barisan Nasional regime from Putrajaya.

A veteran’s dream
Former party chairman and current DAP adviser Dr Chen Man Hin took to the microphone and emphatically reminded the audience that he was still around and not dead! Indeed, this is a legend of a man who was one of the pioneers of the party along with Karpal and Lim Kit Siang. Another war-torn warrior, he echoed the message of hope to all present.

His dream, along with the other leaders, is for Malaysia to be a democratic, fair and equal society. Today, he believes that this dream is coming closer to being realised. Indeed, it is these belief, hope and dream that the party is clinging tightly to.

The delegates were reminded that the DAP was a party which had a heart for the people and wanted to serve. “If you want to become a minister, don’t join the DAP. If you want to serve the people, then we call you one of us!” It is the fervent hope that the DAP would maintain the party’s integrity and commitment to the service of the people.

With an inspiring flourish, Chen called on members not to fear anything in pursuit of the final goal. “Do not worry anti-DAP elements. Stick to our principles and we shall win!”

The epic keynote
Perhaps the highlight of the event was the speech delivered by secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. In the most pumped-up speech I have seen him give thus far, he outlined the party policy as well as the goals come the general election.

After acknowledging the delegates from every corner of Malaysia, he proceeded to tackle issues one at a time. Never lacking in energy or zeal, Guan Eng preached that the success of the DAP government in Penang was due to the uncompromising commitment to moderation and peace. As a result, Penang is cleaner, greener and safer than any other states in Malaysia. With this achieved, it is now the mission of the party to make all other states cleaner, greener and safer.

The DAP, along with PKR and PAS, is firmly committed to the vision of a country in which the government is progressive and free of corruption. Guan Eng reiterated that to achieve this, Pakatan Rakyat cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the Barisan Nasional. The values of integrity and incorruptibility must be exemplified by its leaders.

Guan Eng also declared that the party would concentrate on the issues of inflation, rising costs and misappropriation of public funds during the run-up to the general election. This is all part of the party’s goal to realise the Malaysian dream in which we cannot be “a police state but a policy state”.

The DAP is committed to a minimum wage which would be adjusted according to the rate of inflation, and it promises to abolish the toll on the North-South Expressway.

The battle lines are drawn in Sabah and Sarawak where Pakatan must gain 19 seats to capture Putrajaya. With party unity, this goal is certainly attainable, according to Guan Eng. He concluded by saying, “Let us dare to dream the Malaysian Dream”. Each delegate was filled with renewed hope that after 46 years of struggle, the impossible would become a reality.

Despite the clear references to the BN government, the secretary-general was tactful and gracious, avoiding any direct attacks or slander of any BN component party. This is in stark contrast to the Umno general assembly which had effectively turned into an anti-DAP mud-slinging rally. It is remarkable that by concentrating on tackling core issues and avoiding negativity, the leaders of the party had maintained their integrity.

Bersihkan Malaysia

With the acquittal of Anwar, the celebration would go on. There is renewed hope and renewed optimism. Although it is clear that many, including Anwar himself, was expecting him to be heading back to Kamunting, the jubilation of the supporters would create waves of positive momentum for the opposition parties now that this farce of a trial is done and over with. The show of solidarity was indeed there, with PAS and DAP leaders standing alongside the opposition leader.

However, the real work now starts for Pakatan. Indeed, putting Anwar in jail would have been political suicide for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his government. If they had made him a martyr, it would have polarised support for the opposition by arousing public sentiment. At least by acquitting him, the government can now claim that the judiciary is independent and that the reforms put in place by Najib are actually bearing fruit.

Now the playing field has again been levelled. However, Pakatan has to stick to its guns, get its nose to the grindstone and work hard to sway a fickle population. Issues such as massive corruption, incompetence, media suppression and racially divisive policies have to be the fodder for Pakatan.

A warning to BN would be in the words of Shakespeare: “A swallow does not a summer make.” Just because Anwar was acquitted does not mean that all is well in the nation. Pakatan must convince the public that the promised change is what the nation needs.

As Pakatan no longer has a martyr to glorify, this would now turn into a sword-to-sword combat. As for the DAP, “we are ready”.

Douglas Tan is a FMT columnist