The Democratic Action Party at Sixty

Struggles Over Seniority, Structure, and Strategy
Traditionally an opposition outfit, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) has evolved to become a mainstream operation. A consequential player in Malaysian politics, it now has forty mem-bers of parliament and ninety state assembly representatives.

Because of its cadre-based structure, the DAP usually has orderly party elections. Nonetheless, foundational issues have caused some disagreements to bubble to the sur-face—most recently at the 2025 National Party Congress.

Now approaching its sixtieth year, the party is grappling with three key challenges.

The first is the managing of generational change and the fostering of greater inclusive-ness. Senior leaders are retiring, not always willingly; and while the party is multiracial in out-look, it has struggled to diversify its leadership.

The second stems from it evolving from having a small group structure into a larger and more complex organization. No longer a uniquely nationally focused party, the DAP’s leaders are increasingly nourishing support bases at the state level—shifting power within the party structure outwards and downwards.

The third is the managing of diverse expectations. While much of its support base sees the DAP as the opposition, it is now in government. Navigating within the boundaries of what is politically feasible now calls for a different set of skills.

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