DAP to strengthen youth wing, brushes off Muda merger talk

 

DAP Youth will nurture its own leaders for the next general election, says DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook.

PETALING JAYA: A suggestion that youth party Muda merge with DAP was given the brush-off today, with DAP calling for its own youth wing to be strengthened instead.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said the suggestion for Muda to merge with his party was merely the personal view of DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang.

Lim had raised the suggestion following Muda’s defeat in all 19 seats contested at Saturday’s state assembly elections. All Muda candidates also lost their deposits.

Loke said DAP “has no such plans” to merge the two parties.

He added: “Our focus will be to strengthen our own party. During the central executive committee meeting earlier, we instructed DAP Youth (Dapsy) to be strengthened in terms of recruitment and to nurture our own leaders in preparation for the next general election.

“So there is no question about merging with any other party,” he said at a press conference after the leadership meeting.

Loke also declined to comment on a suggestion by Umno Supreme Council member Isham Jalil that the party reconsider its alliance with DAP.

“Individuals will give their views and comments, but what is important is the decision at the party leadership level. So far, Umno has not said anything regarding their relationship in the unity government,” Loke said.

Umno’s relationship with DAP in the unity government coalition had caused uneasiness among its members. Isham said the party needs to “resolve the DAP issue”.

He suggested that Umno consider cooperating with DAP only in the government and to contest elections on its own as a way to rebuild by maintaining its ideology and struggle.

At Saturday’s elections, Umno won only 19 of 108 seats contested. In the parliamentary elections in November, Umno won only 26 of 120 constituencies contested. - FMT