The DAP is hoping to impress upon the people that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the Muslim leadership of Pakatan Harapan is so problematic that the party is forced to extend discussions outside the Federal Cabinet by holding leadership meetings.
If indeed the intent was to discuss the Prime Minister’s decision to remove a precondition for Lynas Corp to keep on operating, the DAP could have done so without the need to inform the press about it.
Previously, when the party met to discuss the Education Ministry’s proposal to introduce khat in the school curriculum, someone from the DAP leaked news of the meeting to media but refused to hold a press conference thereafter.
The purpose of the exercise was to allow the party leadership to bask under the spotlight so that the message of “confidentiality” and “urgency” could be generated by telling reporters “we have no comments.”
That helped create a sense of confusion and ‘pity’ for the DAP as well as the impression that Mahathir was going crazy and was doing things to the detriment of the Chinese community.
It was also meant to leave people feeling that “the DAP isn’t in control of government as claimed by UMNO and PAS.”
PETALING JAYA: The DAP is engaging in a new sort of psy-war.
Previously, the party would play good cop bad cop by getting one person to criticise something and another to support it.
That game is still on, though its leadership now convenes every time the Prime Minister or any other muslim leader in government opens his (or her) mouth to announce a decision.
The name of the game is “The Government Within” – the DAP is trying to impress upon members of public that the Federal Cabinet is being run by an “elite Muslim force” the DAP has no control over.
Ironically, the party has a huge representation in the same government with its secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, serving as Minister of Finance.
It follows, the failure of the DAP to deliberate on issues in government and to abide by consensus is a failure on its part in adhering to the core principles of democracy.
Still, the party is hoping to impress upon people that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the Muslim leadership of Pakatan Harapan is so problematic and dictatorial that the DAP is forced to extend discussions outside the Federal Cabinet by holding leadership meetings.
If indeed the intent was to discuss the Prime Minister’s decision to remove a precondition for Lynas Corp to keep on operating, the DAP could have done so without the need to inform the press about it.
Previously, when the party met to discuss the Education Ministry’s proposal to introduce khat in the school curriculum, someone from the DAP leaked news of the meeting to media but refused to hold a press conference thereafter.
The purpose of the exercise was to allow the party to bask under the spotlight so that the message of “confidentiality” and “urgency” could be generated by telling reporters “we have no comments.”
That helped create a sense of confusion and ‘pity’ for the DAP as well as the impression that Mahathir was going crazy and was doing things to the detriment of the Chinese community.
It was also meant to leave people feeling that “the DAP isn’t in control of government as claimed by UMNO and PAS.”
The meeting to discuss Lynas is meant to accomplish just that.
THE THIRD FORCE
