YOURSAY | 'For DAP, the future is winning over the Malays'

 

YOURSAY | ‘If DAP pursues the 'Chineseness' mindset, it will fail in the long run.’

DAP 'devil' tells how he shed horns in Malay heartland

BobbyO: Remember former DAP leader Lee Lam Thye? The difference was he did not have a confrontational attitude with the authorities. Having a good relationship helped him get many difficult situations or problems solved.

People want to see results and an MP that is on the ground. Sheer hard work will win him or her the support. It does not matter which party you serve.

People have a habit of gossiping. So, the word of how effective your politician is will go around if they see you often and working.

As much as the Chinese and Indians have problems, so does the Malays.

The rich have their connections. It is those in the bottom 40 percent that needs help, irrespective of race. As the Malays make up 65 percent of the population, they represent the biggest component of people that needs help.

If DAP wants to make inroads into the Malay domain, they have to make changes. Make sure that there will be more Malay representation at the polls, as well as more Malay youngsters working on the ground in both state or parliamentary constituencies.

Otherwise, they will remain like PAS, which without Bersatu and Umno, is just a ‘jaguh kampung’ (village champion) - DAP will be recognised only as Chinese champions.

Apa Nama: This is what I had commented previously. DAP could be perceived as a Chinese-dominated party. Nothing is wrong with that perception.

But a person like Pekan Nanas assemblyperson Yeo Tung Siong is able to change that perception and win the trust of the Malays. This is what DAP members should work on.

One could always win over another person regardless the race, religion and skin colour if that person is willing to go the extra mile.

Another example is DAP’s Triang assemblyperson Leong Ngah Ngah in Pahang. He is also an excellent person when it comes to working with the Malays in his area. Even BN cannot unseat him over the years and it has given up doing so.

I hope DAP will understand that actions speak louder, not slogans!

BrownCheetah9736: By the next generation, the minority population will fall to below 20 percent due to changes in demographics. Therefore, if the DAP keeps focusing on the “Chineseness” or “Indianness” in their policies, DAP will lose most of its seats and become irrelevant in about five elections’ time.

DAP leader Ronnie Liu and his like-minded crew have to adjust to the new reality. His parents’ generation, while it’s important to remember their struggles and challenges, have to be put in the past.

Multiculturalism and embracing like-minded Malays is the only way forward. No matter what our distrusts are towards one another, we have a shared destiny. Otherwise, the only alternative for the minorities is to emigrate.

ScarletPanda9731: A party must embrace all races and interact with all people. DAP, or any other party for that matter, must be an all-inclusive party. Any party that relies on one race will ultimately fail in nation-building and thus will lose support over time.

So, if DAP pursues the “Chineseness” mindset, it will fail in the long run.

Take a leaf out of PAP, Singapore. In spite of a 75 percent Chinese population, the PAP government there deliberately formed the group representation constituency (GRC) so that minorities are not left out. Any party which wishes to contest in a GRC must have a candidate from the minorities.

Another relevant point is that the government insists that the English language rather than the Chinese language be the medium of instruction in schools and universities. The third point is that Singapore wishes to have a president from the minorities every four terms.

The fourth point is that minorities can gain scholarships to study in the university provided they are of high quality. This means meritocracy is at work. Prove your worth and you’ll get it. No special privileges. Just prove that you are up to the mark. This way, the Chinese cannot complain of unfairness. Or can they?

Headhunter: This is a good time for DAP to strategise its policy to win the Malay heart. With the present government running like a headless chicken and the rest of the parties in disarray, this is the right time to rebrand itself to a more palatable alternative.

That said, I think it should also transform itself to be more multiracial by bringing up more young Malay and Indian leaders to replace some of the current line-up of oldies, especially those who have lost their zeal for active politics or refuse to evolve themselves.

One of the things they can do is to retweet the party constitution for the central committee to appoint if the party fall short of electing a minimum number of non-Chinese leaders.

One can sense that under the present circumstance, the Malays are slowly realising that their lives are no better under an exclusively Malay government. At the end of the day, the current leaders are all there for themselves.

Mechi: I am not Chinese, but I feel that the DAP is the hope of the nation. If there's no racism in Malaysia, DAP would be the leading party with diligent, multilingual, innovative, future sustainability ideas and solution-oriented MPs and assemblypersons.

BN has used the media in the past to create a negative DAP brand. Now Umno is getting the karma.

Keep the momentum going, DAP, and continue producing politicians of calibre and with integrity. All of you have done a remarkable job starting from Lim Kit Siang. We pray for you.

Cogito Ergo Sum: This is how all political parties should address a multiracial society. We are all Malaysians. We must think and act like one people. Parties based on race, tribal affinity and religion are outdated.

Yet there are many race-based parties still trying to make it work when it is no longer relevant in a fast-changing global economy. We are doomed to be left behind if we can’t think out of our tribal boxes and villages.

Yeo and his thinking are the future, if we are to have one. - Mkini