THE DAP may have chosen the path to a slow death

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Strumming my pain with his fingers
Singing my life with his words
Killing me softly with his song
Killing me softly with his song
Telling my whole life with his words
Killing me softly with his song

Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox’s song made famous by Roberta Flack in 1973 is the song the DAP delegates selected last Sunday after the vote on whether the DAP should remain within the Madani Coalition.

They are hoping that the political narratives over the next 18 months will save them, hitching their whole history and legacy of the party to what happens over the next few months.

However, the DAP party national chairman Gobind Singh Deo has qualified this support to the separation of roles between the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor; and limiting the prime minister’s tenure to two terms.

The other two reforms of utmost importance may include amending the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) and the Peaceful Assembly Act.

So, its all about actions and words. These specifications just totally weakened the resolve of the party vote.

However, there are a couple of points the media is not catching onto about the DAP’s historical decision.

First, only 2,106 out of the 4,264 delegates actually voted in the plebiscite. Only 1,857 votes were cast in favour of the party staying in the coalition. This is hardly overwhelming support to the party leadership.

For those who didn’t vote, their intentions are not fully known. However, its sure that they weren’t motivated enough to come out and support the direction their leadership wanted.

The DAP leader ship can claim a massive 88% victory of those who turned out. That’s the narrative, which as Roberta Flack sang is just “Strumming my pain with his fingers.”

Consequently, the party may see the result of this in the coming elections. DAP grassroots members just may not come out to work hard for DAP reelection. That’s the dangerous consequence for the party now.

Secondly, the vote shows that the DAP is now far from being united. There are clear factions that haven’t been reunited by last weekend’s special conference. Everuone knows what happens when a party becomes dis-united.

In the DAP bastion of Penang division at the top circles is most evident. Coffee shops and whatApp groups are talking about this group and that group and will this group succeed over the existing icons and official leadership.

Inside the DAP is pain. This is being covered up by narratives, which most of its own membership just doesn’t believe anymore.

Last Sunday’s performance clearly showed the pain and the “killing me softly” that could potentially lead to death.