DAP’s sycophantic culture does not suit Ong Kian Ming, says Ramasamy

P. Ramasamy says Ong Kian Ming’s strength lies in independent political analysis, not in fitting into what he describes as DAP’s sycophantic culture.

The Urimai chairman and former DAP leader described Ong, a former member of parliament for Bangi, as capable of assessing election results and party performance through statistical tools and methods. Although Ong appeared to work as part of a team, Ramasamy said he had his own political views and convictions.

Ramasamy linked that independence to Ong’s exclusion as a DAP candidate in the 2022 general election. He said Ong no longer shared the top leadership’s view of the party and its future. With an academic background in political science, Ong prioritized his own analysis of DAP within Malaysia’s wider political landscape, Ramasamy said.

Ramasamy also portrayed Ong as one of the earliest figures to recognize declining support for DAP among Malaysian Indians. He attributed that decline to the marginalization and removal of Indian leaders within the party. Ong remained respected outside DAP, he said, and later developed a close working relationship with Khairy Jamaluddin, who has recently rejoined UMNO.

After resigning, Ong said he did not intend to establish a political party or join an existing one. He instead wanted to help Khairy with his political efforts, according to Ramasamy. That cooperation drew criticism from pro-DAP supporters, although Ramasamy argued that DAP supporters overlook the party’s own symbiotic cooperation with UMNO in the federal government. He said Ong was continuing a friendship with Khairy, not supporting UMNO.

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This is one of the reasons he was not nominated by DAP in the 2022 general election. At that time, it was clear that Kian Ming was no longer aligned with DAP’s top leadership over the party and its future.