A crucial ally of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling alliance voted on Sunday to stay in government, giving him breathing room after months of uncertainty over whether the biggest party in the coalition would remain in cabinet.
But the Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) decision also raises the stakes for its own political survival. Analysts warn that the party risks further erosion of its credibility unless it can unless it makes sure to push through concrete reforms before the next general election.
The party’s vote keeps Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led administration stable for now but also leaves the DAP under pressure to show that it can still shape policy rather than merely provide the numbers keeping the prime minister in power.
Nearly 90 per cent of the over 2,200 DAP delegates at Sunday’s party congress voted for their leaders to stay in Putrajaya, ensuring the stability of the administration until its five-year term ends in early 2028.
“This is the mandate given to the [party’s central executive committee] and our leaders to continue to pursue the reform agenda and to focus on the changes that we promised in our PH manifesto,” DAP Secretary General Anthony Loke told a news conference.
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