Back to school for future Malay leaders in DAP
Zulkifli Sulong, The Malaysian Insider
A recent survey may have revealed the depth of anti-DAP sentiment among Malays, but the opposition party has been working to address such perceptions for the last few years through its Democracy School (SekDem), which has given birth to young Malay personalities in the largely Chinese party.
As Malay youth are the main candidates for its training camps, SekDem uses Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction.
“We have produced 300 graduates from this school since we founded it about four years ago. More than 90% of them are Malays,” SekDem principal Wan Hamidi Hamid (pic) said in an interview.
The former journalist, who now works full time with the opposition party at its headquarters, said the school has resulted in more prominent personalities among Malays for the party.
Among SekDem graduates turned DAP leaders are Young Syefura Othman, better known as Rara, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud and Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof.
Dyana was fielded in the Teluk Intan by-election in May 2014, while Rara and Edry are awaiting their formal appointments to local councils in Selangor. Both are also being groomed by the party to contest in the next general election.
“Through this school, we train participants how to speak about democracy after teaching them to understand democracy,” Wan Hamidi said.
SekDem programmes – which are training camps over a few days – are run free of charge by the party and open to participants aged 18 to 30.
It offers three levels of courses: the first two are open to the public and the third is for DAP members only.
It covers classes on democracy and speech training which enable participants to present the ideas they have learned.
Religious teacher or ustaz Hakim Ramlee is SekDem’s chief trainer.
Apart from grooming future leaders for DAP, SekDem is also training social activists.
“We are training a group of activists to handle the Bicara Demokrasi programme,” Wan Hamidi said, adding that the programme features talks and forums.
Winning over Malays, rural folk
Wan Hamidi is the man in DAP tasked with strategising ways to draw more Malays to the largely Chinese party and to help it overcome perception that it is anti-Malay.
Wan Hamidi started his career with DAP when he was appointed chief editor of the party’s Bahasa Malaysia web organ, Roketkini.
