DAP grassroots members feel their party is being targeted with a slew of controversies, and want leaders to start defending it.

They told The Malaysian Insight that the attacks do not appear to be coincidences, but more of a political power play.

A party veteran from Klang said the recent incidents were aimed at sabotaging DAP, and the attacks came from both within Pakatan Harapan and external quarters.

“You can see that right after the Malay Dignity Congress, many things happened in quick succession. At first, everyone wanted the new government to perform well, but not only has this not been achieved, but now, DAP leaders are getting in trouble for criticising government policies.

“Looking at the whole situation, it looks like there are unseen hands at work trying to drive a wedge between DAP and other PH component parties. I believe the party leadership can see this, too,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

On the DAP leadership’s silence on these matters, he said it is difficult for grassroots members to explain themselves to the people when the top guns do not make their positions clear, seemingly choosing to go with the flow instead.

“I think the leadership needs to sit down and have in-depth discussions with the grassroots on the party’s future plans. As of now, there seems to be a lack of communication between the top and the bottom.”

The source said many long-time members are beginning to feel disheartened, and have stopped attending party activities.

“As for myself, I’ve been in the party for almost 20 years. I still believe in the party, but I can’t help but miss the era of Karpal Singh,” he said, referring to the late prominent lawyer and Jelutong MP fondly known as the “Tiger of Jelutong”.

The grassroots understand that DAP is under siege from all sides, but they feel like the party leadership should grab the reins and lead it out of troubled waters.

A Selangor Women grassroots leader said the recent controversies have affected DAP from the top to bottom, and believes that the party is being made a scapegoat to please a certain race.

“From the khat and Jawi issue, we could see there was scrutiny (of the party), until the string of issues now. Party leaders seem to be not welcomed everywhere, and they can’t please everyone either.

“I understand the leaders’ dilemma, but their inaction often leads to the grassroots being mocked by the people. So, I hope that party leaders will do their part instead of running helter-skelter.

“We can only hope that the PH leadership will lead us out of this crisis by not letting others use racial and religious issues as a pretence to attack DAP. If we do not manage to solve these issues before the next general election, the situation is only going to get worse.”

On DAP’s decision to cut ties with controversial former member Hew Kuan Yau over a comic promoting China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), she said prioritising the party over a single person is the right, pragmatic choice.

While she does not agree with the comic being distributed in schools, she said the Home Ministry should not have banned it.

She added that DAP may have overreacted on its Sg Pelek assemblyman Ronnie Liu’s criticism of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his party, Bersatu, by initiating disciplinary action against the rep.

“The speed of the action against him may be to show others in PH that this is how we act against those who don’t toe the line.

“I myself and other party colleagues are disappointed with the incident, but this will not cause us to quit the party. We will continue to support DAP and try to voice our opinions to state leaders.”

Political fatigue among grassroots

Recent controversies directly or indirectly affecting DAP include Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Nga Kor Ming’s alleged insult of the Selangor ruler, two Indian assemblymen being detained over suspected links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Hew’s BRI comic-book fiasco and Liu’s criticism.

As the party with the second-highest number of MPs, DAP has been criticised by the opposition for its silence on numerous issues.

It is understood that many party members and supporters agree with the criticism, and have stopped attending DAP events.

“Many members are saying after we became part of the government, we have been avoiding many important issues,” said a grassroots leader.

“When we face questions from the public during our coffee-shop or community events, we are unable to respond effectively as the leadership has not taken a stance on important issues. This is having a cooling effect on the grassroots.

“After we joined the government, it feels like we are unable to speak up. We do not know how to communicate to the leadership the people’s feedback either.”

He said the grassroots are in the dark over the party’s stand on several matters, such as whether it supports or opposes the plan for Dr Mahathir to make way for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim after two years.

“We (members) have no idea. We don’t know how to explain to supporters our future plans.”

Another source said after DAP became one of the ruling parties, grassroots leaders have been primarily occupied with appeasing supporters or explaining to them current issues.

He said these leaders are frustrated that they have to keep doing such work even after a year of PH rule.

“We need to let the people know how we work, what our direction is, how we are performing in the government, how we promote our ideologies. But right now, all we’re doing is putting out fires.”

DAP held closed-door meetings within two weeks of each other in August to explain the khat/Jawi and Lynas issues to members as the grassroots were facing public pressure.

Opposing views are normal

A DAP Youth leader, however, said opposing views are the norm in politics.

“Of course there will be conflicts. If conflicts aren’t happening, it will be even more difficult in the long term.”

On the party’s morale, he said DAP has always been demonised, and it is amplified now because the party is a member of the pact in power.

“We do not deny that Bersatu has Umno DNA in them, and we (DAP) used to heavily criticise Umno. It is not easy to change everyone’s mentality within a year’s time.

“But all these things are also good for us because everyone is expressing their opinions, and this is the complication that comes with cooperation, and it will not devolve into a split.

“As a whole, I still have faith in the party, and the leadership deserves our trust. We will continue to give feedback to the state leadership.” – October 26, 2019.