By Murray Hunter

BANGKOK, Thailand--Deep sources within the DAP have advised the writer Lim Guan Eng and Anthony Loke maybe planning a DAP exit from Pakatan Harapan after the coming general election results are in, if it is to political advantage.

The groundwork is being laid now where many of DAP's principled MPs are being replaced in the candidate selection process with candidates loyal and obedient to the leadership duo.

Those MPs who are believed to be opposed to such a move are being squeezed out. This is clearly evident in the DAP candidate lists.

This move had to wait until the retirement of Lim Guan Eng's father Lim Kit Siang who is believed to be against such a betrayal of PH. Recent party constitutional changes forbid public disagreement with decisions made by the central committee.

This will make the DAP the kingmaker after the election. With around 40 seats, The DAP would supplement other BN parties which may acquire up to 75 seats. The DAP has two clear options now to be part of the government after the election. If PH doesn’t quite have the numbers to form a government, the DAP leadership will be very tempted to cross over to the other side.

This would give the BN a safe working majority, and if supplemented with East Malaysian parties would provide the BN with a 2/3 majority.

It is believed discussions along these lines were held with UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which provides Zahid with leverage to dump PAS from any potential government. LGE and Zahid have enjoyed a very close relationship for a number of years. There is a level of trust between the two which would allow for such an agreement.

For the DAP, such an agreement brings back the trappings of government. Lim was reported to have enjoyed his tenure in the federal cabinet and wants more. A handful of other DAP MPs would also get cabinet positions.

The bonus would be that both Zahid and Lim wouldn't have any more criminal charges hanging around their necks with a friendly attorney general.

Power sharing with BN is just one step on from the MOU PH signed to support the Ismail Sabri government last year, only now they share the trappings of government.

The rationalization would be that it's better to be in government and use DAP influence to create a stable and moderate government that could stand the test of time. This is something that both LGE and Zahid believe would be saleable to their respective party memberships.

This would be the ultimate betrayal to Malaysian voters and a brutal stab in the back to Anwar Ibrahim. However, there is a feeling within the DAP leadership that time has passed Anwar, and in the interests of the DAP, a new approach is needed, otherwise the DAP will become an eternal opposition party. Such is the emerging culture of the DAP, pragmatic, rather than principled in the old social justice platform.

Voters must ask the DAP to provide a categorical denial to the possibility of working with the BN.

The anti-hopping laws cover MPs changing parties but not parties changing alliances.

 

*The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of INS.*