DAP concedes ‘obvious’ drop in support for PH, says Loke

(FMT) – DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook has conceded that there is a significant drop in support for Pakatan Harapan (PH).

In the case of DAP’s performance in the Johor state election last month, Loke said the percentage of those who voted for the party was lower than in previous elections, though DAP managed to retain 10 seats.

He said the party would discuss and set a specific action plan for the next four months to regain support.

“The entire DAP election machinery must be ready by August this year,” he said in a Facebook post today.

He said the voting pattern analysis was presented at the DAP’s central executive committee (CEC) retreat today to understand the impact it would have on the 15th general election (GE15).

In Johor, Barisan Nasional stormed to a commanding victory by winning 40 seats, while PH won 12, Perikatan Nasional three and Muda 1.

PH had performed in a similarly lackluster fashion at the Melaka and Sarawak polls, winning five and two seats, respectively.

Touching on the anti-party hopping bill, Loke said the party gave its full support to deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo to represent DAP in the select committee to draft the bill.

He hoped the bill would be tabled and passed in Parliament before the end of May.

Yesterday, the Dewan Rakyat adopted a motion to form a parliamentary select committee to draft the anti-hopping bill.

The 11-member committee, chaired by law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, will look to define party-hopping, repeal Article 48 (6) of the Federal Constitution, make other constitutional amendments and draft the anti-hopping bill itself.