KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — More DAP members will leave the party to protest its partnership with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak claimed today.
The communications and multimedia minister said the four lawmakers who resigned from the federal opposition party were an indication of deeper resentment among DAP grassroots over its leaders’ dalliances with the former prime minister.
“There are many more in DAP who feel the same way but for the sake of the party they do not want to rock the boat. There are also Malays who support Pakatan but who are unhappy with Mahathir’s role in the opposition.
“The fact that Mahathir and (Lim) Kit Siang said many nasty things about each other in the past and now embrace each other demonstrates a lack of principles and morals. As much as you may be united by a common objective, you still need to maintain some level of honour and integrity,” he said in a blog post.
The Umno leader also predicted that the progress that opposition parties made since Election 2008 — twice denying Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority — will be lost in the coming general election.
He added that it was also too late for DAP to regain supporters’ trust, even if it were to sever its ties with Dr Mahathir and his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Lim and Dr Mahathir had been political nemeses during the latter’s time in power, but formed an unlikely alliance after the former prime minister resigned from Umno and became a critic of the government.
New DAP member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim also declared Dr Mahathir to be de facto head of opposition, but has since been corrected by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail and other leaders from Pakatan Harapan parties.
Kota Melaka MP Sim Tong Him, Duyong assemblyman Goh Leong San, Lim Jak Wong (Bachang), and Chin Choon Seong (Kesidang) today announced their resignations from DAP, citing their loss of faith in the party leadership.
