SHAH ALAM - This Sunday, DAP faces what could be one of the most consequential moments in its recent history — less an annual party gathering than a reckoning over its future role in the Federal Government.
A total of 4,264 delegates representing 1,704 branches will gather in Putrajaya with one question hanging over the party: Should DAP continue serving in the Federal Government for the remainder of the parliamentary term, or walk away? The question comes amid growing unease among sections of the party's grassroots following recent state election setbacks and lingering dissatisfaction over the pace of reforms under the Unity Government.
A motion will be tabled by secretary-general Anthony Loke and debated by delegates, after which a secret ballot will be held.
This marks a significant departure from the usual decision-making process. There will be no show of hands or voice vote. Instead, every delegate will receive a ballot paper, with voting expected to take about two hours.
While the leadership has allowed the grassroots to decide the matter, sources familiar with the ongoing engagement process say sentiment on the ground may be more complex than the eventual result suggests.
Sources said there is strong support among some grassroots members for DAP to leave the Federal Government.
The frustration is understandable.
For some members, the question is no longer whether DAP can influence policy from within the government, but whether it has delivered enough of what it promised after more than three years in power.
At branch-level discussions, members have raised concerns about unresolved issues, the slow pace of certain reforms and what they perceive as DAP’s inability to translate its presence in government into tangible outcomes for supporters.
Some have also questioned why they feel ignored by Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In coffee shops and informal gatherings, particularly among Chinese grassroots supporters, dissatisfaction with government policies and the pace of change has become increasingly apparent.
For those advocating an exit, leaving the government is less about abandoning responsibility than sending a political message — a vote of protest aimed at cooling grassroots anger and answering a recurring question: Why remain in government if key objectives cannot be achieved? But there is another side to the argument, and this is where the leadership’s engagement efforts become crucial.
Sources said key state leaders and senior party figures have been meeting delegates on the ground to explain why remaining in government may still be in DAP’s best interests.
Their argument is pragmatic: with perhaps only a year left before the next general election, why give up a seat at the Cabinet table now? Staying, they argue, would give DAP more time to deliver on promises, push policy initiatives and exert pressure from within the government.
Leaving may provide emotional satisfaction, but it would also mean surrendering whatever influence the party still has over policymaking.
Party leaders have also reminded members that DAP cannot shape national policy from outside the government.
That creates the central dilemma facing delegates at Sunday's congress: Is it better to leave in protest, or stay and continue fighting from within? The debate is playing out differently across the country.
Kuala Lumpur, according to one source, appears inclined towards staying.
Even in states where there is broad support for remaining in government, however, delegates are not necessarily giving the leadership a clear mandate.
The leadership’s response is expected to form a key part of its pitch ahead of the vote, outlining what DAP can still achieve in government and how it intends to reposition itself as the country moves towards the 16th General Election.
Recent state election setbacks have only sharpened the debate.
DAP suffered a particularly painful blow in Negeri Sembilan, where Loke lost Chennah after holding the seat for more than a decade.
The defeat, coupled with broader concerns about the Unity Government’s performance, has intensified calls among some supporters for the party to distance itself from the administration.
Yet the decision to put the matter directly to delegates also reflects Loke’s effort to make the process genuinely democratic rather than allowing the CEC to decide on behalf of the entire party.
That means Sunday's result could still produce a surprise.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the exercise is that the outcome may not necessarily reflect the loudest voices within the grassroots.
After weeks of internal debate and engagement, delegates will ultimately decide whether DAP’s future lies in continued participation in government or a dramatic break from it.