Northern DAP delegates undecided on staying in unity govt

 Delegates from Penang, Kedah and Perlis will decide for themselves ahead of Sunday’s secret-ballot vote.

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook briefed some 300 delegates from Penang, Kedah and Perlis ahead of Sunday’s secret-ballot vote on the party’s continued participation in the unity government.

GEORGE TOWN:

DAP delegates from Penang, Kedah and Perlis have yet to take a collective stand on whether the party should remain in the unity government following a briefing by secretary-general Loke Siew Fook last night.

About 300 delegates from the northern states attended a 90-minute closed-door session ahead of Sunday’s party congress, where delegates will vote on the matter by secret ballot.

DAP national veterans’ club chief Lay Hock Peng said no decision had been made for the northern states, with delegates free to make up their own minds after hearing Loke’s explanation.

“Perak is Perak. We cannot make this decision. We let the delegates decide,” he said when asked about the state chapter’s decision to unanimously back remaining in the unity government.

DAP veterans Lay Hock Peng and Lee Kin Kheong speaking after a briefing by party secretary-general Loke Siew Fook last night.

Lay said the briefing had nevertheless given delegates a clearer picture of the arguments surrounding DAP’s continued participation in government.

He said Penang members in particular had considerable experience from DAP’s 18 years in the state government, and that more than 700 Penang delegates were eligible to vote at Sunday’s congress.

Lay also acknowledged that some supporters were unhappy, but said this did not mean they wanted DAP to leave the government.

“The voters want us, but they want more. That’s all. We are not doing enough. We have to improve,” he said.

He added that DAP could not deliver reforms alone, and that PKR and Amanah also had roles to play as its partners in Pakatan Harapan.

Veterans’ club treasurer Lee Kin Kheong said the government needed to move faster on its promises, and that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had to act rather than leave reforms until closer to the next general election.

Jonathan Ong.

Mutiara Heights DAP Youth branch publicity secretary Jonathan Ong described the mood at the meeting as generally optimistic, saying grassroots members still supported the government despite concerns over some of its shortcomings.

“No government is 100% perfect. There are flaws,” he said, adding that delegates had raised their concerns so the party leadership could address them.

However, another northern delegate who asked not to be named questioned the need for DAP to hold a vote at all.

The delegate said DAP had waited some 60 years to enter the federal government and should instead use the remaining two years of the parliamentary term to push through reforms and deliver on its election promises.

“It is not easy to be in government. We have waited for 60 years,” the delegate said.

“You are already in government. You should use the opportunity to carry out reforms and fulfil the manifesto.”

When met by reporters after the brief, Loke declined to comment, saying he had to rush for a flight back to Kuala Lumpur.

Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim was similarly brief when asked about the northern delegates’ position, saying: “We will see.”

On Sunday, 4,264 DAP delegates will decide whether the party should remain or withdraw from government posts for the remainder of the parliamentary term. - FMT