LETTER | The Perak DAP convention held over the weekend was marred by fracas and unruly behaviour arising from the intense rivalries between two factions - one helmed by its chairperson Nga Kor Ming and the other led by Kampar MP Thomas Su.

Coming from a party that has long championed a mature democratic culture, the episode has left a poor aftertaste for its supporters. This is the very same party that mocked its opponents, and sometimes its own allies in the Pakatan Harapan coalition, for undemocratic behaviour or thuggish tactics.

Now, the party is caught red-handed for the very practices it had admonished others of in the past. Accusations like "phantom members" and voting irregularities, which the DAP previously used to mock parties like MCA, MIC and Umno, are being levelled against the rocket party. This is to speak nothing of violent acts like the scuffle on Sunday.

If these could happen in a state where the party is no longer in power, one can only imagine the extent its officials would stoop to if more were at stake. This episode has also cast a long shadow of doubt over the party's actual commitment to the ideals of democracy, good governance and justice which it so often espouses.

Sunday's public unmasking of DAP is not an isolated incident. Also in Perak last December, the party joined forces with its archenemy Umno to topple the previous menteri besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu from Bersatu. The coup was supposed to herald a new co-operation between Umno and DAP as both parties struggled to inch back into Putrajaya.

Nga, an influential figure in the party, openly said the DAP was willing to work with Umno. His views were not censured by the party central leadership, whose silence could only be interpreted as a tacit endorsement. Some top DAP leaders even openly welcomed Nga's idea, which, even six months ago, would have been considered blasphemous in the DAP.

Perhaps the DAP had been too intoxicated with the taste of power during its 22 months in Putrajaya under the Mahathir administration. Now, the party is willing to compromise on some of its most fundamental tenets in order to claw back to power.

The Perak DAP convention is only one in a series of writings on the wall about the party's veering away from its core original struggles. The public is watching the party closely and will not hesitate to teach the DAP a lesson if it continues to deviate from serving the community, to serving power-hungry office-bearers.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.