Thinking Out of the Box

By Yin, Wad 5

Dr Lim Teck Ghee’s “DAP needs to think out of the box” (the Sundaily 9/9/19) is a wakeup call to the party.

I would like to add to his comments. 

But first . . . This attack on Lim Guan Eng over the Penang Tunnel is shameful to say the least. The MACC which has allegedly said that there is “no case to answer” and closed the file; has now miraculously found something – just after Najib Abdul Razak has been convicted and  Rosmah, Zahid et al  are waiting for their day in court. What a coincidence.

Not satisfied with arresting Guan Eng, they have gone for his wife. How low can they go?

Malaysians feel for Lim Kit Siang, a father pleading for common decency by not involving Guan Eng’s wife Betty Chew.  How traumatic it is for the children.

Mana Kesopanan Akhlak Kita?

From what is public knowledge, it is an Open Tender, the Chairman of the Tender Board is a Civil Servant. Guan Eng had no direct involvement in the tender process, not a cent has been paid. This is much more open than the tenders that have gone before especially under the UMNO Government.

If the MACC wants to look at cases retrospectively I am sure there is plenty to dig up in Mahathir’s twenty two years in office. They will probably hit the mother lode; and what about Abdullah Ahmad Badawi? Or even Muyhiddin Yassin himself.

Our government is rotten to the core if you ask me.

At least in the twenty two months of PH Government there have been attempts at cleaning up and putting in place checks and balances to make government more accountable.

Malaysians should show their disgust at this kind of gutter politics and come out in support of Lim Guan Eng.

Good Luck!

“DAP should think out of the box” indeed but in so doing must not abandon its core principles of “a free, democratic and socialist Malaysia based on the principles of racial and religious equality, social and economic justice . . .”

The general perception is that DAP has abandoned the above and many of the promises close to the hearts of their supporters. This has seen it fall into disfavour among a very significant section of the voters. The dream of Bangsa Malaysia PH dangled in front of its supporters was dead in the water the minute DAP went to bed with Mahathir. Perhaps its leaders have done that for “pragmatic reasons” but obviously the voters disagree.

A DAP minister’s alleged offer of a derisory RM50 increase to the basic wages of workers does not sound like it is serious about “economic justice”. DAP increasingly looks like a “towkay” party like MCA.

DAP must redeem itself in the eyes of the voters. It must rediscover its socialist principles which are what attracted support to it in the first place. It seems the only true socialist party is Parti Socialis Malaysia.

For a start DAP must get rid of the “Chinese Party” image which has been hounding it since its founding. Rightly or wrongly this is a stick UMNO and PAS will continue to use to beat it.

It must find ways to increase Malay presence in its Central Executive Committee. When Malay voters are assured that their interests will be looked after; that policies reflect an understanding of Malay concerns; then DAP would be accepted by the Malay voters.

In its present set up, Malay members in DAP are unlikely to get the votes to get them into the Central Committee in enough numbers to be a presence.

The Labour Party in U.K. has made it a matter of policy to have 50% female MPs and they have structured their organisation to achieve this.

DAP should look into something like this. We are not talking about lowering the bar; there are enough qualified, honest and clever Malays in the party to merit their inclusion in decision making. It will also attract other Malays who subscribe to the socialist principles.

Malays are not against socialism. We only have to look at the recent past – Ahmad Boestaman and others. Malays are not inherently racist – Onn Jaafar, Tunku, Ismail Abdul Rahman.

They just want to be assured that they will not be left behind. They vote for UMNO and PAS and PPBM because these parties promise to defend them and Islam – against who, is never stated.

Recent events have shown that the Malay parties are the ones who are stealing from the country. The Malay voters know this but race and religion are powerful arguments.

Ultimately, its about delivery. It looks increasingly unlikely that a Malay Government with a Malay Agenda led by corrupt leaders can do that especially in a Post Covid 19 global economy.

The Malay voters are willing to be persuaded; DAP (and the other parties) have to think out of the box in order to offer fresh solutions which are not focused on race yet assure them they will not be left behind.

The impending recession post Covid 19 will make the Malays rethink the issue of race. What good is a Malay Government if it cannot deliver a better standard of living or even basic economic security.  Food on the table becomes the priority.

Maybe it is time for a generational change in DAP leadership (and that goes for PKR too).

The present leadership fed on a diet of opposition politics do not seem able to change to a governing mindset. Even when in government it still behaves like the opposition. It should be more concerned with delivering; with setting social and economic goals and a new vision for the country. Instead it is trying to score points against UMNO and PAS at every turn.

Action speaks louder than words as they say. Have a clean government; create jobs, have an affirmative action policy focused on helping the have-nots.

The younger DAP leaders (and PKR and Amanah too) are best able to deliver all this. They don’t have the baggage and mindset of the old guards.

Now, that’s thinking out of the box!

Teck Ghee’s excellent piece should be heeded by the PH parties.

(The views expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rebuilding Malaysia.)