DAP shake-up: New guard faces litmus test on social and ecological justice

The DAP party polls on 16 March sprang a few surprises with certain party stalwarts putting up a poor showing.

Some fresh faces have been elected to the central committee, while a few veterans have all but been shown the door.

It is a positive development that nine women have been elected to the 30-member committee – a 30% representation. (But there’s still a way to go before the DAP can catch up with Parti Sosialis Malaysia, whose 15-member central committee has six women or 40%.)

Hopefully, this will be a springboard for the DAP to ensure that 30% of its candidates for the next general election are women.

While the old guard fades into the sunset, younger politicians in the party are stepping out of the shadows.

But what will this generational shift mean for the party’s direction? Can we expect a change of approach? Ahead of the party polls, the public heard little about upholding socioeconomic and ecological justice.

People across Malaysia are now watching closely to see if the fresh faces in the committee will adopt a different philosophy or narrative, a different economic approach. They are waiting to see if there will be a genuine change in the party’s traditional thinking about the type of development suitable for the people.

For instance, what does the new leadership think about the controversial mega-projects in Penang? Will they be open to more sustainable and cheaper alternatives?

The RM25bn price tag for the elevated light rail transit project and the Pan Island Link highway project is staggering – especially given that the Penang state government’s budget is just about RM1bn. The concrete footprint will also have an enormous impact.

We have not yet heard what the newly elected leaders have to say about the ecological harmful highway projects on sensitive hill terrain, such as the “north coast paired road”?

Will they champion alternatives like water transport and remedy the neglect of the ferry and bus services? Hopefully, they will take a look at the shelved Halcrow transport blueprint. This plan focused on affordable buses, trams and ferries – instead of that multi-billion-ringgit elevated LRT.

Will these younger leaders still want to pursue even more land reclamation on fishing waters or atop precious seagrass?

Or will they challenge the development model driven by property developers, many of whom seem more interested in expensive housing rather than genuinely affordable housing for the people?

They should also spare a moment to look at the lack of policy interest in workers’ wellbeing. Many working-class families are one emergency away from financial disaster. Low-income workers are struggling to cope with spiralling prices. Even young people are falling into bankruptcy while the middle class are also squeezed.

Some of the urban poor have children who have not even attended school. Many lack a balanced diet, surviving on nasi lemak or sardines. Others have precious little retirement savings in their Employees Provident Fund.

The root cause remains unspoken (or at least we do not hear much about it from the corridors of power). Low wages mean workers receive a shrinking slice of the national income pie. Is there the political will to discuss feasible solutions beyond cash handouts?

Will the new committee members show any interest in food security and the challenges that farmers face in places like the Kinta Valley? The irony is that, at a time of higher food prices, many of these farmers are being driven out of farms. Fisherfolk, who put affordable protein on people’s plates, have to move further out to sea because of coastal land reclamation.

Will the new leaders speak out about the state of our under-funded public healthcare system? (Have a look at Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj’s memorandum to the Ministry of Health, for starters.) Or will they be more interested in boasting about the stats on medical tourists, who primarily benefit private hospitals?

The real test for this new generation of leaders is not just winning party positions – it is whether they can reimagine what development should mean for the people of Malaysia.

Now is the moment for a sustainable plan. Now is the time to resolve the people’s hardships on the ground.

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama

1. Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
2. Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
3. Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
4. Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
5. Lawan rasuah dan kronisme

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