DAP’S disciplinary committee said it accepted Ronnie Liu’s explanation on an article he wrote criticising Prime Minister Dr Mahathir, but stopped short of mentioning any punitive action against the Sg Pelek assemblyman.

Committee chairman Chong Chieng Jen said a show cause letter was issued to Liu, who had given a “lengthy explanation” on his article “Mahathir: the Paper Tiger” which he published last month.

“We have perused his explanation and the Disciplinary Committee has accepted his clarification,” Chong said in a statement today.

There appears to be no other action taken against Liu, who said in his piece that Pakatan Harapan (PH) could still form the government without Dr Mahathir’s party, Bersatu.

Instead, Chong advised all party members against making public any criticism they might have against DAP’s partners in PH.

“The committee advises all members in future to refrain from open criticism against our coalition partners and resort to internal channel to resolve our differences.”

In his article, Liu had also warned Bersatu against making decisions that are not aligned with PH’s promises for reforms, and that the coalition could face snap elections without the Malay party.

Liu was criticised by Bersatu ministers, such as Education Minister Maszlee Malik and Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

In recent months, DAP has faced some backlash from Chinese voters over certain issues under Bersatu ministers, such as the Education Ministry’s move to introduce khat calligraphy to Year 4 vernacular school pupils next year.

The DAP disciplinary committee’s statement today follows another furore between the two parties sparked by Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu, who was recorded on video saying that he was alone in Perak “fighting a desperate battle against ‘puak-puak’ (factions of) DAP” to defend Malay land and Islam.

Faizal’s remarks in the clip, which was recorded while he was campaigning for Bersatu’s candidate in the Tg Piai by-election, play into the opposition narrative that DAP is anti-Islam and anti-Malay.

The Bersatu politician, who was formerly from Umno, also claimed to have shunned his PH colleagues on nomination day for the by-election. “I sat with the Umno gang… I am fed up with the ministers; they also fight,” he said.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir said Bersatu will not take any disciplinary action against Faizal.

Dr Mahathir said Faizal was only trying to explain to the locals in Tg Piai about his duties as a Malay menteri besar and that he was not being controlled by DAP. – November 12, 2019.