Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid said the party must weigh its choices carefully if it hopes to retain long‑standing Chinese support, pointing out that its popularity has recently waned.
Fauzi noted that grassroots Chinese groups have already begun pressing for a resolution to longstanding issues, such as the United Examination Certificate—amid resistance even from PKR leaders.
This pressure will only continue to build up among the DAP rank-and-file as GE16 draws closer, he said.
“The longer DAP holds on to power, the more urgent the need to balance between realpolitik and ethno-national populist demands.
“As a party that traditionally built its support around the Chinese working class, it’s definitely a great leap forward for its leaders to start getting used to being lampooned as incumbents who can never get things done once in power.
“In the interest of not losing the bulk of the Chinese support it now commands, it pays for DAP to keep its options open — including (the possibility of) leaving PH,” he told FMT.
DAP founded PH in 2015 alongside PKR and Amanah, a splinter party of PAS.
Rafizi-PKR tiff detrimental
Fauzi said external factors could also affect DAP’s non-Malay support, including the widening schism between Rafizi Ramli’s faction and the PKR leadership.
He said this open conflict could affect PH’s haul of urban and non-Malay votes, especially if the former economy minister contests against the coalition.
He warned that this could cause some non-Malay voters to shun PH to DAP’s detriment, as MCA, MIC and even Gerakan look to take advantage.
“The situation on the ground is very fluid. The unexpected may yet still take place in Malaysian politics.”
Speculation has been mounting over the possibility of a snap election this year, with Rafizi hinting that he may contest his parliamentary seat under a banner other than PKR’s.
This comes after Subang MP Wong Chen, a key ally, previously floated the idea of “a new composition” in GE16.
DAP has its own concerns to deal with, having suffered a wipeout in the Sabah assembly at the state election on Nov 29, an outcome seen as a warning that it should deliver on its electoral promises.
Since that drubbing, DAP leaders have become more vocal on a variety of issues, from allegations against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to legal reforms.
The party will hold a special congress on July 12 to decide whether leaders should resign from their government positions while continuing to support Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration in Parliament.
Credible candidates can shake DAP
James Chin of the University of Tasmania said a third force in itself would not shake DAP’s stranglehold in GE16, although the party’s hold on certain seats may be tested severely if challenged by candidates with strong public credibility.
Chin said such individuals must command strong personal followings—particularly in urban areas—through positions taken on issues such as governance and integrity.
“If candidates who are not credible vie against DAP, then it has nothing to worry about. But if some really strong credible candidates come against DAP, it may lose some seats,” he said.
Nonetheless, Chin believed the majority of DAP’s seats would be safely defended, simply due to the large vote majorities that the party enjoyed in past elections.