DAP needs more non-Chinese members

However, as I said, thus far DAP has depended on their Malay partners to bring in the Malay votes. But depending on others to win elections is very dicey. DAP needs to garner the Malay votes directly. And for that to happen DAP needs to shed its Chinese image by bringing in more Malay members and by making sure that at least 20% to 30% of its members are Malays.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

People keep reminding us that politics is all about perception. And they argue that the perception regarding Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is that he is guilty of the allegations surrounding 1MDB. Hence Najib will be presumed guilty unless and until he can prove his innocence — and not presumed innocent unless and until the prosecution proves him guilty.

In that case, if we apply those standards, and base our considerations purely on perception, then DAP is a Chinese party. But is DAP really a Chinese party, because it claims to be a multi-racial party? DAP might claim anything it wants to claim but in politics it is the perception that counts and the perception is that DAP is a Chinese party.

So DAP needs to clean up this negative perception. Just as there are some who perceive Umno as a Malay-racist party, there are also some who perceive DAP as the reverse of that same coin, a Chinese-racist party. And it is not enough that DAP claims that since a handful of Malays have joined DAP (the numbers that you can count on the fingers of two hands) that makes them a multi-racial party or a party that is now accepted by some Malays.

Can the fact that Ridhuan Tee supports Umno be used as the evidence that Umno is a multi-racial party and that the Chinese support Umno? Umno is a Malay party, no one can deny that, and one Ridhuan Tee, just like one swallow, does not make a summer. It has to be more than that.

If DAP wants to change that perception and take on the image that it is a multi-racial party supported by Malays then a handful of Malays will not cut it. DAP has to aim for larger numbers than that. DAP must bring it at least 20% or 30% Malays into the party and only then will it be able to present itself not only as a multi-racial party but a multi-racial party that is supported by Malays.

Thus far DAP has been depending on PAS to bring in the Malay votes. So, many Malays voted for DAP because PAS said so. In fact, many PAS Malays even wore DAP T-shirts and carried DAP flags during the elections. But that will no longer be possible. In fact, they could not even attract enough Malay support during the recent Bersih 4 rally because PAS did not instruct its members to come out in support.

DAP hopes that PAN (Parti Amanah Negara) will replace PAS in bringing in the Malay votes. That is left to be seen and has not yet been proven. PAN could not even mobilise a Malay crowd for the Bersih 4 rally so what makes DAP think that they can do so during the elections?

Let us get one thing very clear. The Malays perceive DAP as a Chinese party. But the Malays voted for DAP because PAS asked them to. Voting for DAP is as good as voting for PAS because DAP and PAS are comrades. But DAP and PAS are now enemies. So there is no longer any reason for the Malays to vote for DAP.

DAP has to stop depending on others for the Malay votes. DAP should stop riding on PAS, PAN and PKR to garner Malays votes. DAP has to start getting Malay votes not because PAS, PAN or PKR say so but because the Malays want to vote for DAP. And for this to happen the Malays must see a reason to vote for DAP and not because PAS, PAN or PKR ask them to.

There are 222 parliament seats with only 60 or so that can be considered Chinese majority. There are 56 seats in the Selangor state assembly with only 28 that can be considered predominantly Chinese. Umno has been very clever at the game of gerrymandering over the last 58 years since Merdeka. Nothing illegal about that, of course — even the UK and the US do that. But that would mean no Chinese party can ever win a majority (other than in the Penang state assembly) without Malay votes.

However, as I said, thus far DAP has depended on their Malay partners to bring in the Malay votes. But depending on others to win elections is very dicey. DAP needs to garner the Malay votes directly. And for that to happen DAP needs to shed its Chinese image by bringing in more Malay members and by making sure that at least 20% to 30% of its members are Malays.

That would be the only way forward for DAP unless it wants to continue depending on PAN and PKR for its Malay votes. And with PKR announcing that it will continue to work with PAS, the future does not look too bright for DAP. PKR may not prove a friend to DAP after all unless DAP can accept that PKR will still work with PAS.