DAP must step up efforts to court Malays, says Aziz Bari

Dr Abdul Aziz Bari (third from left), seen here with national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said (second right) and veteran DAP lawmaker Lim Kit Siang (third right) after joining the party on July 30 this year. – The Malaysian Insider pic, November 1, 2015.DAP needs to secure more support from the Malay community and make it a better option to Umno, PAS and even PKR, a constitutional law expert said today.

This is important because the Malays, as well as the bumiputras make up 60% of the population, Dr Abdul Aziz Bari said.

Aziz, who recently joined the party, said that DAP should be just another option for the Malays, aside from political parties like Umno, PAS and PKR.

“I attended Umno meetings a long time ago... and I was also with PKR before.

"Umno, we know is corrupt, incompetent and not sincere in its fight for the rights of the Malays. Even PAS has its own problems and PKR is just the same,” he said.

The country's prominent law expert, who joined DAP in July said this during the debate session at the Selangor DAP Ordinary Convention in Petaling Jaya today.

Aziz said that there was once a campaign in the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat not to allow DAP from forming a government in the states.

And because of this, DAP needed to show that it can represent everyone, including the Malays and others, despite it being a Chinese-majority party.

“That is why we have to be strong because that was the ideology. We have to prove that we can take care and protect the Malays as well,” he said.

He felt this is also the reason why DAP has to come up with new ideas to tackle the heart of the Malays.

“To attract the Malays is not by “Malaynising” the party but by offering better policies and good governance to the people,” he said.

On the current political landscape, Aziz said, DAP should already be on the highest gear in its campaign in Selangor.

“There are so many opportunities that have yet to be tapped in Selangor. We have Unisel (Universiti Selangor).

"We should use this to showcase Pakatan Harapan in offering free education and academics opportunities to the rakyat,” Aziz said.

He said the party's role is not to meddle with people's lives or teach others how to live but more on offering better opportunities to them.

“We have to study the community. We have to know our audience. I am from the Malay community and I see that we have to take more initiatives to tackle the Malays.

"We have to gain their confidence to let DAP represent them,” said Aziz.

He also said as a Malay, he did not join DAP to be the Chinese's minion.

Aziz, who joined DAP along with national laureatte Datuk A. Samad Said, contested the Sabak Bernam parliamentary seat under the PKR banner in the 13th general election in May 2013, but lost.

He said that since his involvement with think tank, Penang Institute as a fellow, he had come to realise that DAP is an efficient, principled party based on meritocracy.

"In the opposition alliance, DAP has the most number of parliamentary and state seats and this gives me the confidence that they have the strength and confidence to move forward.

"I hope my involvement in the party can help speed up things for the opposition to get to Putrajaya," he said at the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur in July.

- TMI