DAP has more Indian Members of Parliament and state assembly representatives than MIC - today as well as in 1969 when the DAP contested our first general election.
After the 13th general election, DAP has six Indian MPs and 13 Indian state assembly representatives in Penang, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Selangor and Pahang.
In contrast, MIC has four MPs and five state assembly representatives in Malaysia, although nobody knows how many MPs and state assembly representatives MIC would have left after the dust has finally settled on the prolonged MIC internecine feud and strife.
But DAP is not an Indian political party.
In the 13th general election, DAP elected 30 Chinese Members of Parliament and 89 Chinese state assembly representatives in 10 of the 13 states in Malaysia - far ahead of MCA which was reduced to a 7/11 political party with seven MPs and 11 state assembly representatives or the Gerakan’s 2/3 political score of two MPs and three state assembly representatives.
But DAP is not a Chinese political party.
Right from the very beginning during DAP’s formation 50 years ago, DAP pledged to be a Malaysian party dedicated to serve the cause of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.
This is why DAP is the first Pan-Malaysian political party in the country, active in political work in all states in the country before any other political party, including those from the Barisan Nasional.
This is also why right from the very first general election fought by the DAP in 1969, DAP had fielded a multi-racial slate of candidates, and over the decades since 1969, we had elected Malay Members of Parliament and state assembly representatives.
In multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia, where it is so easy to pander and even incite racial and religious sentiments, as is unfortunately the case with recent political developments resulting in the worst racial and religious polarisation in the nation's history, the road of a multi-racial Malaysian political party is a hard and arduous one.
However, for close to five decades, DAP has kept faith with the goal to be a political party for all Malaysians, and not to be a party for Chinese or Indians only although the DAP had more Indian MPs and state assemblypersons than MIC or more Chinese MPs and state assembly representatives than the ‘7/11' MCA.
DAP needs to redouble our efforts to welcome like-minded Malays to join in the DAP’s Malaysian cause.
Just as DAP’s door is open to Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and Ibans in Malaysia who share in the common Malaysian Dream, DAP’s door is always open to Malays who share the Malaysian Dream of an united, inclusive, progressive, just and prosperous Malaysia for all Malaysians.
I look forward to more Malays joining the Chinese, Indians, Ibans and Kadazans in the party to fight the Malaysian cause where all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, can walk tall as there is good governance with all citizens assured of their basic political, economic, educational, social, cultural and citizenship rights and where democratic freedoms, economic progress, personal safety, human rights and environmental concerns are the top priority agenda of the government of the day.
LIM KIT SIANG is DAP Parliamentary Leader and the MP for Gelang Patah.
