By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 20: Democratic Action Party (DAP) could see its number of Members of Parliament (MPs) cut by half from 40 to 20 if it fails to take drastic action on reforms, election promises and its relationship with Peninsular Malays, warns political pundit Dato Peter Minos.
Minos said the party must seriously reassess its direction following its wipeout in the Sabah election, poor performances in Johor and Negeri Sembilan, as well as the defeat of one of its top leaders.
“If little or nothing drastic is done in the months ahead, DAP may see its MPs reduced by 50 per cent to 20 and mainly in Penang and a few places,” he said in a statement today.
He said DAP, whose delegates have indicated that they want the party to remain in government and continue working with its Pakatan Harapan (PH) partners, must now start taking positive action.
Among the key steps, Minos said, is for DAP to mend fences with United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the Malay community in Peninsular Malaysia.
According to Minos, the party should reflect on statements and actions which may have offended the Malay community, whether directly or through its PH ally Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
He said the strong desire among Malays for political unity was evident in Negeri Sembilan, where voters rejected PH despite what he described as the successful leadership of the state’s Menteri Besar and a robust state economy.
“Call that identity politics or racial politics, but it was a reality. DAP must know that.
“When a community thinks and believes that it is cornered, unity for self-defence is deep in their minds. All other things are secondary and peripheral,” he stated.
Minos also urged DAP to work with PKR and Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) to address the high and rising cost of living, suggesting that the government consider a 50 per cent subsidy on basic necessities such as rice, flour, cooking oil, sugar and milk.
He further proposed that the federal government temporarily cut back on non-essential expenditure to provide greater relief to poor and low-income groups.
At the same time, he said DAP and its PH partners must follow through on promises made to the people and push ahead with reforms, warning that unfulfilled pledges had caused voters to become angry and unhappy.
“It is never too late for DAP to do self-appraisal, to recall what should have been done and promises made to the people, and do something immediately.
“Time is running short. DAP and PH have only 16 more months to get things done,” he said.
Minos warned that if DAP chooses to continue as usual without seriously pursuing reforms, fulfilling its promises and making amends with the Peninsular Malay community, it may eventually be too late to reverse its fortunes.
“The choice is on DAP,” he said. — DayakDaily
