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LYRICS | I am drawn to respond to a report from September 18 on The perception of Malaysia Interestingly titled “Don’t let DAP fool you, Ku Li tells Malay youth.”
In the article, Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (more affectionately called Ku Li) is quoted as saying that DAP’s young Malaysians “should not let themselves be used by the party to control this country”, and that he hopes they will “make it realize that this is Tanah Melayu (Malaysian land) and that there is nowhere else Malaysians can go. “
Of course, it is not an uncommon trend for the media to highlight sensational quotes without properly contextualizing them. But if what is reported is really accurate, I must say that I find it most peculiar because it was Ku Li himself who advised me to join the DAP more than 10 years ago.
Change in the air
I returned from the UK at the end of 2006, to Malaysia in the grip of a growing wave of political activism. In 2007, two large public demonstrations, the first Bersih rally followed shortly after by the Hindraf rally, created the momentum that propelled the then weakly allied opposition parties DAP, PKR and PAS to create history.
Not only did they deny the sitting BN its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority in the 2008 general elections, but they also defeated them in the five state assemblies in Penang, Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Kelantan.
Buoyed by a sense of euphoria at the prospect of political reform finally happening in Malaysia, coupled with the fact that many of the new political leaders were from my generation, I decided to make the decision and enter politics.
Having no real idea of how I could take the first step toward partisan politics, I felt I needed to seek the advice of the most knowledgeable. Ku Li, being a close family friend, was a natural choice as a mentor and father figure.
Although this episode occurred over a decade ago, I can still vividly recall the conversation that took place at the Ku Li “White House” in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. I had conveyed my desire to contribute to the change that was taking place in politics. It was an exciting time and I longed to emulate my late father, who in her youth also played an important role in the political transition that took place in our country in 1957.
Ku Li’s response was positive after hearing me describe why I wanted to take the step. She began by saying that she was glad to know that I wanted to get involved in politics and that she believed I had a lot to offer. He then went on to say that Umno was no longer the same party that he and my father had joined, that a young man with big ideas would probably find it very difficult to break the hierarchy.
In the end, he suggested something unexpected. “Perhaps you should consider joining opposition parties, as they are more prepared to give young people a chance.”
He then asked me if I had thought about where I might want to be active. I told him that I was interested in living in Penang because I grew up there, to which he responded by saying that the options in Penang were quite obvious. “I think you can have an impact if you join DAP.”
And that’s how ironically I ended up joining DAP in 2010. In fact, sometimes when we met, Ku Li still reminded me that it was he who had advised me to join DAP. I remain grateful for your advice, as it was a decision that completely changed my life, giving me the opportunity to serve the nation and my home state of Penang.
A more diverse DAP
Having been not only in the party, but also as part of its leadership for the past 10 years, I can say that I have witnessed a transformative process taking place within me. When I joined, it is true that there were not many Malaysian members, and fewer young Malays. A lot has changed since then.
Over the years, many efforts have been made to break out of the traditional comfort zone of the party of non-Malaysian voters of the urban working class. As a result of this concerted push, which was certainly not without internal resistance, the party has succeeded in diversifying its leadership line-up.
From having no Malaysian representative elected for 18 years from 1995, DAP produced two Malaysian MPs and one state assemblyman in the 2013 general election. This result tripled in 2018 with the election of nine Malaysian representatives to the DAP (one MP and one eight assembly members, four of whom were appointed state executive councilors). More interestingly, six of the nine were under 40 years old.
In addition to the influx of new young Malaysian leaders into the party, DAP also broke new ground by introducing native East Malaysian candidates in both Sabah and Sarawak, who won in 2018.
In fact, you could say that DAP in 2020 looks very different than it used to be. From a fringe party that featured predominantly non-Malaysian and non-bumiputera faces in its elected lineup, today it is a dominant party that can boast an impressive lineup of multiracial elected representatives. It is also the party with the highest proportion of elected representatives under 40 years of age.
However, what has remained constant over the years has been the party’s commitment to the principles of democracy, social justice and solidarity. It is these same principles that lay the foundations for the party’s multicultural struggle.
Ku Li was right when he told me a decade ago that he would find greater acceptance at DAP as a young person with a desire for political reform. It is precisely the party’s willingness to embrace diversity, rather than manipulate it for narrow and parochial gains, that has provided a platform for me and many others like me: young idealistic Malays who yearn for socioeconomic justice and a country that offers fairly for each of its citizens.
While I appreciate Ku Li’s advice and have actually benefited from him in the past, I think it wouldn’t hurt for him to remind him that this is Malaysia and that there is nowhere else Malaysians can go.
The writer is the Assemblyman of Tanjung Bunga and the Vice President of Penang DAP.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author / contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
