Has the DAP strayed from its Social-Democratic roots?

PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara all have different beliefs, but are said to be together because they have a common enemy: Barisan Nasional (BN).

The opposition coalition are treading very dangerous waters which could chart the future of Malaysian politics for at least the next three years, whether or not there is a change of government at Putrajaya.

And that is mainly down to the stark difference in the makeup of the parties in Pakatan Harapan.

First, the DAP.

"A stable party."

"A party that is disciplined and has its house in order."

"A party which stands for the rights of all Malaysians."

If one were to ask these questions to most Malaysians, it is very likely that the resounding answer will be DAP.

And credit to the founders and drivers of the DAP for having come to this point.

Being stable, disciplined and consistent in fighting for people's rights is certainly something other parties in the current opposition coalition have not managed to do.

But to mount a sustainable charge to shake the ground at Putrajaya, being stable is just not going to be enough.

Discipline alone won't cut it too.

The challenge would be to stick true to its social democratic framework and to use that as a base on which to build a concrete alternative that Malaysians can honestly believe in.

However, social democracy means believing in inclusivity.

And central to all of this would be the answers it can come up with for the economic problems faced by all Malaysians, not just a select few groups.

Umno's answer to economic woes are through providing meagre handouts which do not strike at the heart of this problem.

As of now, this hasn't yet been addressed by DAP.

A workable solution would be the reimagining of a support mechanism for families feeling the economic heatwave, and guaranteeing that shock absorbers can be adopted to prevent people from falling hard when times are tough.

While ideas may already be formulated by DAP, the people haven't yet visualised it, they haven't felt it.

And if people aren't given a taste of how different a particular party can be, they are more likely to stick with what they know - BN - instead of taking the plunge with an alternative brand.

Next, social democracy also means that there has to be room for debate, upholding the right to dissent and encouraging views from all corners in line with the rule of law. It shouldn't only be for opinions which are popular with a single track.

Umno doesn't allow for dissent, as former seputy prime ministers, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can attest to.

However, what is being portrayed by the DAP is that alternative views comes with a price, if the recent incident in Penang's state assembly is anything to go by, with five PKR representatives coming under heavy critique for their actions.

An opposition party which has hopes of becoming government should be different from the government it wants to replace, not mimic it.

By closing the door on varying opinions, it also seems like democracy will take a back seat on some occasions.

And finally, if the party is to truly believe in its social democratic ideology, its working principles in the current coalition has to be made clear from the outset.

The previous formalised relationship by the opposition parties broke apart due to this very fact. History should not repeat itself.

DAP is at a very opportune position to get to the next level and bring higher energy to Malaysian politics.

But it has to realise that while it may be the most stable opposition party, there are many other aspects to running a government. Democracy means a lot more. – December 2, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.