The atmosphere at the Bandar Utama 11 community hall felt festive with laughing families and an array of dishes commonly associated with Chinese weddings.
However, it was charged in the way only a political event could, particularly one by DAP - especially when rival-turned-ally-turned-rival BN was a talking point.
With the fundraising dinner set the night before the start of the Negeri Sembilan election, several DAP leaders made it clear: vote for DAP if you don't want a BN government.
"We still pay until today for what has happened in the past (caused) by a BN government," DAP national chairperson Gobind Singh Deo told a crowd of about 500 people at the hall last night.
To illustrate his point, Gobind raised the matter of the debt generated by the 1MDB scandal, which he said is a problem that "haunts" Putrajaya up until now and will continue to do so for years to come.
The controversy, which incurred financial obligations of RM51.4 billion, was one of the factors that delivered a sweeping win to Pakatan Harapan in the 2018 general election, providing the coalition with about 50 percent of the popular vote.
It was Harapan's best performance in a general election and, conversely, BN's worst.
However, the volatility of Malaysian politics and global upheavals resulted in a hung Parliament in the following general election, forcing the two rivals to form a federal government together.
Spats have occasionally brewed between the pair - often between Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh and DAP - but tensions reached a head in Negeri Sembilan in April.
Negeri Sembilan Umno chief Jalaluddin Alias had led the state’s 14 Umno assemblypersons to withdraw support from the menteri besar at the time - PKR’s Aminuddin Harun - claiming it was because the latter had bungled a dispute between the four undang (territorial chieftains) and the Yang di-Pertuan Besar, which led to a ruler crisis.
Gobind had raised this issue at the dinner, blaming Umno's actions for the Negeri Sembilan election and saying the party had caused the "collapse" of the state government.
Political manoeuvres
A similar point was made by Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, who also made a speech at the dinner.
"Unfortunately, lately there are people in our team... who are (destroying our work) and ensuring there is a political avenue for them to seize power, to seize opportunities, and that is what happened in Negeri Sembilan, the state neighbouring Selangor.
"They are organising political manoeuvres, they are sowing insecurity in our community," Amirudin said.
Jalaluddin had attempted to form a new state government with support from Perikatan Nasional but was blocked by the state palace.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke recently described the Negeri Sembilan Umno leadership as traitors and rebels against the state's constitutional monarchy system, saying that the coalition government there should have worked together to overcome the crisis.
Amirudin further pointed to BN's success in the recently concluded Johor election, where the coalition won 48 out of 56 seats.
"Yes, they were successful in Johor. Now they are trying in Negeri Sembilan.
"But I am confident, with the current leadership, with your continuous support, we will protect the golden state of Selangor... to make sure this state belongs to all, to Malaysians, to Chinese, to Malays, to Indians," he said to boisterous cheers.
The results of the Johor election dealt a stunning blow to Harapan, with DAP winning only four of its eight seats in the state assembly.
It lost three seats to rival MCA and one to MIC, while PKR and Amanah retained one seat each.
READ MORE: Johor polls: MCA trumps DAP, Bersama loses deposits but deals damage, PN wiped out
Pua’s bluntness
Characteristically, DAP disciplinary committee chief Tony Pua was most blunt in his call for supporters to rally around the party.
"When you choose not to vote, you choose to vote for BN. Or, God forbid, you choose to vote for a spoiler party.
"When you do that, you allow this government to collapse, you make this government lose, and the party that will win in the next general election will be none other than BN, and your next prime minister will be (BN chairperson) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
"Do you want Zahid as your next PM of Malaysia? So (whether) you like it or not, you have to continue backing Harapan; you have to trust that we will deliver our promises.
"You can continue to pressure us, you can continue to scold us, you can continue to criticise us, but ensure that we are in power so we can deliver your reforms to you... so that Malaysia, in 10 years' time, will be the proud home that every former Malaysian will want to come back to," he said.
Prior to the Johor election, Harapan received a drubbing at the Sabah polls, where DAP lost all its seats to Warisan.
Former DAP lawmaker Charles Santiago had labelled it a "backlash" from voters - particularly Chinese voters who historically formed the party’s strongest base.
He cautioned that the anger witnessed in Sabah is already simmering in the peninsula, as voters are tired of being taken for granted, of mixed signals, and of a party that seems unsure of what it stands for whenever power is at stake.
Charles said DAP needs to return to its basics: focusing on people-centred issues, the cost of living, governance, accountability, transparency, and public service. - Mkini
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