Analysts: DAP polls delay not a big deal
PETALING JAYA: DAP’s decision to postpone its internal elections is unlikely to cause a significant change in public opinion about the party, according to political analysts Khoo Kay Peng and Jayum Jawan.
They noted that DAP was not the first political party to do so.
“Umno has postponed its party polls. MCA, Gerakan and, in fact, most political parties in Malaysia have also done the same,” Khoo said in an interview with FMT. “So, I don’t think the public is going to fault DAP for that.”
Asked to comment on the flak Umno received when it made the same decision last year, Khoo said all political parties in Malaysia were fond of criticising their rivals while failing to practise what they preach.
“A very simple example is Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who has been charged with corruption,” he said.
“DAP used to say that as long as you are holding public office and you are charged with an offence, you should step down temporarily to allow the trial to take its course. But as you can see, Lim is still around.
“And it’s not just DAP that holds double standards. Unfortunately, this is the reality of our political landscape.”
Jayum agreed, saying DAP was doing nothing out of the ordinary.
He also said he believed DAP was postponing the elections because it feared facing its members and supporters.
“This is perhaps due to the fact that so many of its leaders have been in the limelight recently, and members of the public are questioning them,” he said.
“Also, DAP has its plate full nowadays. So maybe it’s trying to distract its members from all that.”
The DAP Central Executive Council (CEC) has announced that it would postpone the party elections this year to focus on the General Election.
The CEC is due for re-election on Sept 29, but the party’s constitution allows internal elections to be postponed for up to 18 months if a General Election is due within two years.
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