Parti BERSAMA leader Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli believes DAP is unlikely to walk away from the Unity Government, arguing that the party has become accustomed to holding numerous positions at federal and state levels.
Rafizi said the decision by DAP to remain in the administration was hardly surprising, as political parties that have secured positions in government would naturally find it difficult to give up their influence.
“DAP has positions ranging from full ministers and deputy ministers to chief ministers, state executive councillors, elected representatives and councillors, with thousands of people holding positions further down the line.
“Once you have tasted the benefits of power, do you really think it is easy to let go? If someone in Penang has already become a councillor, do you think it is easy for them to give that up?” he said.
He was speaking at the Kancil Tour Series in Penang last night, where he said he had already predicted over the past two to three weeks that DAP would not leave the Unity Government and would remain in power until the next general election.
Rafizi also dismissed expectations among UMNO and PAS supporters that the government would collapse if DAP withdrew from the coalition.
“People in UMNO and PAS were already celebrating, thinking the Pakatan Harapan government would fall after DAP pulled out. I said from the beginning, you do not understand politicians,” he said.
According to Rafizi, major political parties including PKR and DAP also continue to rely heavily on nostalgia and race-based fears when dealing with declining voter support, rather than putting forward fresh solutions to current problems.
He claimed PKR and DAP would continue repeating familiar narratives about their past achievements and warning supporters about what could happen if their parties lost power.
“For PKR on one side and DAP on the other, they will keep going around in circles. Everything they repeat is about nostalgia because it is easier to talk about the past. Believe me, it will continue like that,” he said.
Rafizi claimed DAP would similarly tell non-Malay voters and its members that leaving the government could mean returning to the past, which he said would translate into losing government positions and becoming an opposition party once again.
His remarks came after the DAP National Congress 2026, where 1,857 delegates, or 88.2 per cent, voted for the party to remain in the Federal Government, while 242 delegates, or 11.5 per cent, supported leaving the Unity Government.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke said the outcome represented a clear mandate for the party leadership to continue pursuing its reform agenda from within the government.
