PETALING JAYA: DAP faces the challenge of maintaining its traditional Chinese support while convincing more Malay voters to back the party ahead of the next general election, political analysts say.
International Islamic University Malaysia academic Syaza Shukri said DAP would need to address the perception among Malay voters that it is opposed to Malay and Islamic interests.
She said the perception had been reinforced among some Malay voters since Pakatan Harapan formed the federal government after the 2018 general election.
Syaza said DAP needed to recognise the Malays as the country’s majority while avoiding rhetoric that could portray Malays or PAS supporters as being hostile towards other communities.
She said the party should instead focus on individuals or organisations that deliberately create racial and religious tensions.
According to Syaza, demonstrating that DAP understands Malay concerns would also help the party reassure non-Malay voters that their interests could still be protected.
Meanwhile, University of Tasmania academic James Chin said DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook was facing a difficult balancing act as the party sought to broaden its support base.
Chin said some of DAP’s core Chinese supporters were uncomfortable with the party’s efforts to reach out to Malay voters and preferred it to remain focused on its traditional support base.
However, he said DAP could face a shrinking support base in the coming years if it failed to gain greater backing from Malay and Indian voters.
Loke had previously said DAP needed to expand its support beyond its traditional strongholds ahead of the next general election while retaining its core Chinese support.
He also acknowledged that Malaysia’s political environment required consensus-building among coalition partners, meaning DAP could not always pursue its objectives without compromise.
-FMT
