DAP July congress to decide fate of party leaders in unity government

Anthony Loke. Photo credit: Anthony Loke's Facebook page

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Feb 20: The Democratic Action Party (DAP) will hold a special congress on July 12 to let its grassroots decide whether party leaders should relinquish their posts in the unity government.

According to a report by Free Malaysia Today (FMT), DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook said some 4,000 delegates will vote on whether DAP leaders should step down as ministers, deputy ministers, state executive councillors, local councillors and government-linked company (GLC) appointees, while the party continues to support the government in Parliament.

Describing the gathering as an internal “referendum”, Loke said the move reflects a shift towards a more institutionalised and democratic decision-making process, instead of leaving the matter solely to the party’s central executive committee (CEC).

Despite the review, Loke stressed that DAP’s 40 Members of Parliament (MPs) would continue backing the unity government until the next general election.

“This is not a threat to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. It is a review of our role in government,” he said, adding that the party would not take part in any attempt to form a so-called “backdoor government”.

He acknowledged that some DAP leaders were still adjusting to the pressures of governing after spending years in the opposition.

“We will ensure the government remains stable. Our 40 MPs will safeguard that stability,” he said.

Loke noted that previously, decisions on joining or leaving political coalitions were made by the CEC in line with the party constitution, without a vote from delegates.

“However, given the current circumstances, especially the impact of the Sabah state election, it is necessary for delegates to decide our direction collectively,” he said.

DAP suffered a major setback in the 2025 Sabah state election, where DAP lost all eight state seats it contested, a collapse that local media and analysts described as a “crisis of confidence” among voters.

In that election, voters in Sabah shifted decisively away from DAP and other Peninsula-based parties, reshaping the state assembly and leaving DAP without representation there. – DayakDaily