Urimai chairman P Ramasamy has challenged DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook to step down from the party’s top post as well if he believes DAP’s handling of former prime minister Najib Razak’s conditional pardon reflects a failure in the party’s political direction.
Ramasamy, a former DAP leader, said the key question was not simply whether Loke would resign as transport minister, but whether he was prepared to take political responsibility as the party’s secretary-general.
“If Loke genuinely believes that DAP has failed in its political direction over the Najib issue, he should come forward and resign as secretary-general together with other leaders who share responsibility for the party’s decisions.
“A Cabinet resignation alone does not resolve the deeper political problem facing DAP,” he said in a statement today.
Ramasamy also questioned whether Loke was serious about resigning from the Cabinet, given that the resignation would only take effect when Najib begins serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
He said the timeline appeared to have shifted from Loke’s initial announcement that his resignation was linked to Najib’s pardon to the point at which Najib begins house arrest.
Loke had previously said he would resign as transport minister over the conditional pardon, which allows Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, subject to a RM50 million payment and other conditions.
He later clarified that his resignation would take effect when Najib begins house arrest, while other DAP leaders in the unity government would remain in their positions in the interest of political stability.
Ramasamy also disputed Loke’s claim that DAP continues to command around 80% support among Chinese voters, saying it would be a significant achievement if the party secured even 40% at the 16th General Election.
He urged Loke not to assume that the Chinese community would be politically left without representation if DAP’s support declined.
“The Chinese community is not politically helpless,” he said, pointing to generations of voters, professionals, entrepreneurs, intellectuals and community leaders who are capable of making their own political choices.
“DAP does not have a monopoly over Chinese aspirations. Indeed, the greater danger is for DAP to assume that Chinese voters have nowhere else to go.”
Loke’s estimate of 80% support was based on recent state election results, although he acknowledged that reaching 90% would be difficult.
He has also said DAP needs to rebuild support beyond its traditional base ahead of the 16th General Election.
