KUALA LUMPUR: Quitting the cabinet may help DAP rebuild credibility among its traditional supporters after successive electoral defeats, but the political cost would outweigh any benefits, said Dr Ong Kian Ming.
"It could cost the party control of the Penang government and its participation in the Selangor government," he said.
Ong said such a move, which has been discussed since DAP failed to win a single seat in the Sabah election, would also make it difficult for the party to campaign for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the next general election.
The former Bangi member of parliament from DAP said this when asked about the party's options after Pakatan Harapan's loss in Saturday's Negri Sembilan election.
One of the biggest headlines was secretary-general Anthony Loke's defeat in Chennah, a seat he had held since 2013.
DAP also lost the Repah seat.
Ong said the outcome stemmed from several factors, including DAP's inability to mobilise its supporters, particularly Chinese voters, at the same rate as Malay voters.
He also said PH struggled to counter the Malay unity narrative put forward by Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional.
In the aftermath of Saturday's polls, Loke said he was considering resigning as Negri Sembilan DAP chief, though Ong said neither that nor exiting the Anwar-led administration would produce immediate results.
"The DAP congress on Aug 16 will present an opportunity for delegates to debate the party's direction, but leaving the cabinet should not be viewed as an immediate solution," he said.
DAP deputy secretary-general Ramkarpal Singh said it would be unfair to pin the blame on Loke for the loss in Negri Sembilan.
"There are a number of factors," Ramkarpal told the New Straits Times.
"In terms of DAP's performance, Loke led the party well in Negri Sembilan."
Ramkarpal said while losing the two seats was disappointing, other factors had also played a part in the results.
"Our performance as a coalition has to be taken into account. We also have to see if we've met the demands of voters, not just in Negri Sembilan but also at the federal level."
He said these were matters that needed to be looked into ahead of the party's congress.
Ramkarpal added that DAP respected the outcome of the polls and thanked voters for their support.
Some observers said the way forward for DAP could lie outside PH, but Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst Professor Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian warned that this was a double-edged sword.
"Leaving could create a clearer opposition identity, but it could also cost DAP influence and make it appear responsible for political instability.
"The bigger issue is whether DAP can reform within the coalition," he told the NST.
He said while some form of restructuring was necessary, withdrawing from the coalition or Anwar's cabinet might not be the answer.
Sivamurugan said DAP should use the Aug 16 congress to reassess its strategy, leadership and electoral base before making such a major decision.
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