To quit Cabinet or not? Malaysia’s DAP ‘at crossroads’ ahead of crucial party congress

Democratic Action Party delegates will decide on Aug 16 whether its ministers should resign from Malaysia’s unity government. The outcome could result in a snap general election, party members and observers say.

KUALA LUMPUR: The biggest political party in Malaysia’s unity government finds itself at a crossroads as over 4,000 delegates prepare to gather on Aug 16 to decide if it should remain in the government.

The Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) upcoming congress carries heightened significance following punishing setbacks in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections – notably the latter, where the coalition it is part of, Pakatan Harapan (PH), lost power after leading the state for two terms.

While DAP managed to retain some seats in both states, members and political observers say the mood within the party is heavily disillusioned, particularly concerning the government’s record on promised reforms.

Before the Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls, the party suffered a wipeout in the November 2025 Sabah state election, losing in all the eight seats it contested.

To be sure, if DAP delegates decide on Aug 16 that its five full Cabinet ministers and six deputy ministers should relinquish their positions, the party’s leaders have said it will still maintain parliamentary support for the unity government until the current term ends.

Besides PH, the unity government includes Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), smaller parties as well as independents.

But analysts and some DAP members said a decision by DAP to pull out from the government would have vast implications for the unity government, and could even result in Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calling a snap general election (GE16).

DAP member and former deputy international trade and industry minister Ong Kian Ming told CNA he sensed deep disappointment and frustration among many delegates regarding the current trajectory of PH and the party itself.

“Enough of them may want to send a signal to (Anwar) and, to a lesser extent, some of the DAP leaders, that they have fallen short in terms of delivering political and institutional reforms, and vote for the DAP ministers and deputy ministers to resign from their government positions,” said Ong, an adjunct professor at Taylor's University.

While DAP’s performance in Negeri Sembilan – where it won nine of 11 seats contested – marked a reprieve of sorts after more disappointing outcomes in Sabah and Johor, Ong said it could not mask the fact that PH lost control of the state government to BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN).

BN and PN agreed not to contest against each other, campaigning instead for Malay unity.

DAP was also dealt a heavy blow when secretary-general Anthony Loke lost the Chennah seat that he had held for three terms, Ong noted.

“I think the best thing DAP can do is to prepare itself to be back in the opposition at the federal level, and fight tooth and nail to retain the Penang and Selangor state governments,” he said.

The two state governments are controlled by PH, but DAP supplies the most state assembly seats among its component parties.

TO LEAVE OR STAY?

DAP politicians said while grassroots members are frustrated over the party's direction and unfulfilled reforms, opinions remain sharply divided on whether walking away from federal power is a viable path forward.

DAP’s assemblyperson in Tronoh (Perak) Steven Tiw Tee Siang said he felt the party should continue serving in the unity government to maintain stability in the country.

“Going back to the 15th general election, the people had given us strong support and the mandate to govern. So I’m pretty sure people want us to serve in the government for the full term to deliver and provide services,” he said.

“While the opposition might want to see us break apart, this is not what those who voted for us want," Tiw said, stressing that this was his personal opinion.

"If we ever leave the government now, the people will be disappointed with us. Once we have finished the full term, then we can go to elections.”

DAP's decision to hold a congress was made after the November 2025 Sabah state election. Initially scheduled for Jul 12, it was postponed due to the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state polls.

Other party figures were more guarded.

DAP central executive committee (CEC) member Kasthuri Patto told CNA it was hard to predict how delegates would vote, as those in opposition-held states and government-led states may hold different views.

“Delegates and party members, who are also voters, have distinct views on how the administration is performing. But the realities of party politics are entirely different,” said Kasthuri, who did not indicate how she would vote.

“When looking at the bigger picture ahead of the congress, we have to separate party politics from government performance.”

S. Preakas, Kota Kemuning assemblyperson in Selangor, also did not indicate which way he was leaning.

“My personal view is that any decision should be guided by what best serves the interests of Malaysians,” he said.

“(However) the delegates decide, it should be based on principle, accountability, and the long-term interests of the country rather than short-term political considerations.”

Former DAP parliamentarian Charles Santiago predicted that despite the sentiment that DAP’s voice had been muzzled in the Cabinet, delegates would vote to stay in government.

This is because leaving could collapse the administration and trigger a political crisis, he said.

“The party is at a crossroads. DAP deciding to leave would create a huge vacuum and strip the Cabinet of its legitimacy to carry on. It might even force Anwar to call a snap election,” he said.

If DAP decides to pull out of the Cabinet, its support would decline even further, said Yusri Ibrahim, lead researcher of research firm Ilham Centre.

In a Facebook post on Aug 5, he said Chinese voters, in particular, would grow even more disgruntled.

“If they decide to pull out of the government this August 16, and then during GE16 they campaign all over again asking for votes to win and form the government once more — just so they can supposedly resolve all the issues — do you honestly think the voters will believe them?” Yusri wrote.

As a crucial component of PH, a DAP pullout from the Cabinet would be perceived as the government being increasingly weak and unstable, Yusri told CNA.

DAP holds 40 parliamentary seats in Malaysia’s 222-member lower house – the most seats in PH, which also comprises Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Amanah Negara, which hold 29 and eight seats respectively.

"If they walk out of the government, it sends a very bad signal for the administration," Yusri said.

GE16 is not due until February 2028, and Yusri said it would be best for Anwar to try and see through the rest of the term, as there was still a lot more he could do to boost the public's confidence.

CONFIDENCE IN LOKE’S LEADERSHIP

Questions also swirled around Loke’s leadership following the Negeri Sembilan result, but party members and leaders said his standing remains secure.

Kasthuri said the party had confidence in Loke, describing him as the "captain of the ship".

“A leader is only as good as their team. He remains the indispensable figure who must lead DAP into battle at the next general election,” she said.

Ong said DAP leaders and members still greatly respect Loke, who has resigned as Negeri Sembilan DAP chief.

“His standing within the party remains intact even though outsiders may not see and understand this,” he said.

DAP members have rallied behind Loke because there is no one else at the moment to take the helm, said James Chin, a professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania.

According to him, there are two so-called factions in the party - one belonging to Loke and, another, to former secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

“If you say you want to dump Loke, this would allow the old boys to come back and a lot of people would not want that,” Chin said.

Lim, a veteran DAP leader, lost in his bid last year to retain chairmanship of DAP. In the party’s internal election, he emerged 26th out of 70 candidates in votes for a seat on the 30-member DAP central executive committee. He currently serves as the party adviser.

CNA has reached out to Loke for comment on DAP’s future after the recent state polls

At a press conference on Monday, Loke had said DAP’s central executive committee (CEC) had discussed the issue of whether its ministers should leave the unity government but deliberately avoided taking a stance to respect the autonomy of delegates.

Loke, who is also Malaysia’s Transport Minister, added that members will have complete freedom to decide, with voting to be conducted via secret ballot.

HOW MIGHT DAP MOVE FORWARD?

DAP politicians said the party must return to basics. The first step is to listen to voters and acknowledge where the party fell short, said Preakas.

“Elections are a conversation between the people and political parties. We must understand voters' concerns, whether they relate to the cost of living, employment opportunities, housing, education, public services or trust in institutions,” he said.

Preakas had said in a statement on Aug 4 that PH must not slow down its institutional reform agenda. He said the fight against corruption, abuse of power and political patronage were among the principal reasons Malaysians demanded change in 2018 and voted in PH after 60 years of BN rule.

“These reforms cannot be compromised for short-term political convenience,” he said.

DAP must also counter ongoing misinformation and identity-based narratives, as good governance alone is not enough if the public does not understand or believe in the government’s efforts, Preakas said.

“We must continue demonstrating competence in government while remaining humble enough to acknowledge shortcomings and improve where necessary,” he said.

Santiago said DAP and PH need to return to basics and refocus on the reform agenda.

“We can't keep telling people 'this is a unity government, not a PH government'. Our base certainly doesn't buy it; Sabah, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan told you that. Melaka will tell you the same thing,” he said, referring to how a state election could be called soon in Melaka.

Voters ultimately choose based on issues that affect their everyday lives, especially economic well-being, said Santiago.

While Malaysia’s macroeconomic figures look strong, this growth has not translated into higher wages for ordinary citizens, he argued.

“The message is simple: people are struggling, and they are angry,” said Santiago.

He added there was widespread anger towards Anwar stemming from perceived missteps, such as in the handling of land disputes involving Hindu temples.

During the Negeri Sembilan election campaign, Anwar had asked the Indian community to forgive him for mistakenly using the term “illegal temple” when referring to a place of worship built on disputed land.

“You can apologise 1,000 times, but people would not accept it. DAP just cannot run away from the anger towards him,” argued Santiago.

But political analysts have also noted that policy changes may not be enough for PH to win back voters’ favour at this time, given how identity politics has come to dominate the political environment.

BN and PN dialled up the racial rhetoric during the Negeri Sembilan campaign and targeted DAP, which has traditionally appealed to the non-Malay vote base.

BN component party United Malays National Organisation’s secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki asked voters whether they wanted Loke to become the state’s chief minister – despite the state constitution requiring a Malay-Muslim occupant – while a local UMNO leader claimed DAP controlled the Negeri Sembilan palace.

Policy improvements are unlikely to significantly shift voting trends and will only have a minimal impact, Chin said.

“People still vote according to emotions. Only a small minority will vote according to logic, such as policies,” he said.