New: Howard Lee Warns DAP Against Emotional Exit from Government

As delegates prepare to cast their votes at the upcoming DAP Party Conference, the party’s Political Education Director, Howard Lee Chuan How, has urged members to weigh the risks carefully before deciding whether to withdraw from the government. He cautioned that history shows abrupt exits often weaken parties rather than strengthen them.

Lee cited examples from Belgium, where the nationalist N-VA left the federal government in 2018 over migration policy but subsequently lost seats, and from the Netherlands, where Geert Wilders’ PVV saw its representation shrink after toppling the government in 2025. Similar patterns occurred in Bulgaria and Slovakia, where parties that forced governments to collapse later suffered heavy electoral losses or disappeared from parliament altogether.

Howard Lee Warns DAP

According to Lee, these precedents debunk the assumption that leaving government automatically restores credibility or erases compromises made while in power. He acknowledged frustrations within the party over unfinished reforms and unpopular decisions but stressed that the upcoming vote should not be treated as a referendum on anger.

Lee emphasized that resignation from government does not absolve a party of responsibility for past shortcomings and could leave it blamed for subsequent instability. He praised the leadership’s decision to put the matter to a secret ballot, allowing delegates to decide rationally rather than emotionally.

He also noted that DAP’s options are broader than simply staying unconditionally or leaving immediately. The party could set conditions, timelines, and specific reform demands to hold the government accountable. If withdrawal eventually becomes necessary, Lee argued that the public must first understand the reasons, with the political case clearly established before any resignation is formalized.

The vote is expected to be pivotal, determining not only DAP’s role in the current coalition but also its credibility in the long term.

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