Kit Siang believes Harapan in crisis, pleads with DAP for ceasefire

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has urged his party colleagues to cease feuding with other Pakatan Harapan leaders, or risk the disintegration of the coalition and with it "the hopes for a New Malaysia."

In an internal memo, Lim urged DAP MPs and state assemblypersons to "consult" the party leadership over their grievances with other Harapan components, while warning that friendly fire would ultimately undermine public confidence in the coalition.

According to those who sighted the message, Lim warned that continued public criticism could escalate into a free-for-all, where every DAP leader becomes the subject of attacks from other Harapan components.

Lim also said there should be "no room for individual heroics," because it would endanger Harapan's larger goals of building a "New Malaysia."

"It is a timely reminder for calm and rationality. He is reminding us that winning the elections was very difficult and we must not let the people down," said one lawmaker, who declined to be named due to the confidentiality of Lim's message.

"Although Lim is an ordinary central executive committee member, he holds extraordinary influence from within.

"Most of us regard him as the party's conscience," another lawmaker said on the significance of Lim's message.

In recent months, several policy positions by non-DAP ministers have attracted sustained criticism from second-tier party leaders, especially state assemblypersons.

For instance, a group of 140 DAP grassroots leaders, led by Bilut assemblyperson Chow Yu Hui, issued a joint statement condemning the Education Ministry's move to introduce Jawi calligraphy in the Standard Four Bahasa Malaysia textbook.

Jelutong MP Ramkarpal Singh criticised Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for calling Dong Zong a "racist" organisation, while Sungai Pelek Ronnie Liu suggested that "creeping Mahathirism" was rearing its head.

Many of these statements have resulted in tit-for-tat responses from those representing Bersatu grassroots, while PKR and Amanah have mostly stayed out from the fray.  - Mkini