Kuala Lumpur, March 21, 2025 – The Democratic Action Party (DAP), once a beacon of socialist ideals in Malaysia, is veering toward a centrist, pragmatic path, sidelining its foundational principles, warns former MP and academic Kua Kia Soong. Historically anchored in the Setapak Declaration of 1967 and Tanjong Declaration of 1991, DAP championed equality, economic justice, and workers’ rights, aligning with global socialist movements like Socialist International. Yet, recent internal elections reveal a party consumed by factional power struggles, with socialist discourse fading. Kua, a drafter of key party manifestos, laments this shift, arguing that abandoning socialism risks DAP becoming indistinguishable from rivals, losing its relevance. He urges a revival of policies like wealth redistribution and grassroots engagement to counter Malaysia’s neoliberal legacy and reclaim its progressive soul, lest it forfeit public trust.

What Happens Next? No Socialism?

Per Kua, if DAP persists in this drift, it faces an existential threat—morphing into a power-driven entity, disconnected from the working class and marginalized communities that once fueled its rise, ultimately eroding its ideological legitimacy in a world where socialism is resurging.

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