To quit Cabinet or not? Malaysia’s DAP at crossroads ahead of crucial party congress

Malaysia's largest political party within the ruling unity government, the Democratic Action Party (DAP), stands at a pivotal moment as over 4,000 delegates convene on August 16. The central question before them: should the party continue its participation in the government?

The upcoming congress carries significant weight following recent electoral disappointments. The coalition the DAP is part of, Pakatan Harapan (PH), lost power in Negeri Sembilan after two terms, and also suffered setbacks in the Johor state elections. These results, compounded by a complete loss in the November 2025 Sabah state election, have fueled disillusionment among party members, particularly concerning the government's delivery on promised reforms.

While the DAP's five full Cabinet ministers and six deputy ministers would maintain parliamentary support for the government if they were to resign, analysts and some party members believe such a move would have profound implications. It could destabilize Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration and potentially lead to a snap general election.

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Enough of them may want to send a signal to (Anwar) and, to a lesser extent, some of the DAP leaders, that they have fallen short in terms of delivering political and institutional reforms, and vote for the DAP ministers and deputy ministers to resign from their government positions.

Ong Kian Ming, a former deputy minister and DAP member, noted a deep sense of frustration among delegates. He suggested that a vote for the ministers' resignation could serve as a signal that the government has fallen short on delivering political and institutional reforms. Despite a relatively better performance in Negeri Sembilan, where PH retained control of nine out of eleven contested seats, the overall loss of state power to rivals Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional is a stark reminder of the challenges ahead.

Ong advised that the DAP might be better positioned to prepare for a return to opposition at the federal level while focusing on retaining control of the Penang and Selangor state governments, where the party holds a significant number of seats within the PH coalition.

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I think the best thing DAP can do is to prepare itself to be back in the opposition at the federal level, and fight tooth and nail to retain the Penang and Selangor state governments.