DAP and Bersatu must stay on the middle ground as both need each other, said Liew Chin Tong today.

The Johor DAP chief was addressing certain party leaders and members’ criticism of Bersatu, its ally in Pakatan Harapan.

“DAP needs Bersatu, and Bersatu needs DAP to ensure PH’s success in governing and rebuilding Malaysia,” he told delegates at the annual state DAP convention in Muar.

As long as all PH components, including PKR and Amanah, stay united, he said, the ruling coalition will be able to withstand the opposition.

Liew’s address follows a war of words recently between DAP and Bersatu members after DAP central committee member Ronnie Liu criticised Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also PH and Bersatu chairman.

Liu had accused Dr Mahathir of not making decisions in line with PH’s values, and said the pact could still form the government without Bersatu, which holds 26 federal seats.

A DAP Youth leader, too, had attacked Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik, a Bersatu supreme council member, for blocking the distribution in schools of a comic book titled “Belt and Road Initiative for Win-Winism” that was authored by controversial DAP activist Hew Kuan Yau.

Maszlee responded by asking DAP to discipline its leaders and members.

The incident led to Bersatu man Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen urging the party to review its political alliance with its PH partner.

Today, Liew said all four PH parties must exercise restraint and not publicly attack each other.

“If we allow emotions to control us, and start attacking each other, it means we just want to be a half-term government.”

PH parties can hold the coalition together only if each takes the moderate and middle road, he said, warning them not to turn out like Barisan Nasional components, which thrive on racial politics.

“We will be stronger by holding on to the middle ground to fulfil the aspirations of Malaysians. It’s our choice: to be a half-term government, or to govern for more than one term.” – November 3, 2019.