LETTER | DAP leaders with court cases should step down

LETTER | To my beloved DAP leaders and comrades, I am writing this letter with an unprecedented heavy heart.

First and foremost, I would like to wish Lim Kit Siang a swift recovery from Covid-19 infection. With his unwavering spirit and physique, I believe he would recover well.

It is undeniable that Lim’s contribution to the DAP and Malaysian democracy is enormous. Nonetheless, as Rome could not have been built in a single day, we have to remember many other comrades’ sweat and tears too in helping built the DAP today.

We cannot let the party’s credibility crumble to dust due to mistakes made by a few prominent leaders. I humbly believe the DAP must strive to be a world-class political party before we can realise a world-class Malaysia.

Allow my humble opinion that any leaders facing corruption and criminal charges should not continue to hold any public offices until their charges are cleared by the court of law.

Any leaders bogged by corruption charges or any scandals should take the initiative to resign from any public offices to avoid sending a wrong signal on party values to the public and affecting the party’s standings in the next general election.

Any leader who is affected by corruption charges and scandals should step down for the love of the party instead of using the rhetoric of “political persecution” to gain public sympathy. Or else, would voters have any confidence towards our consistency in our stands and principles?

If the DAP is being led by leaders with criminal charges, it’s hard to maintain the party’s principles and core values, and hence adversely affects the party’s image in the public eye.

I strongly opine that using the rhetoric of “political persecution” as a defence indirectly exerts undue pressure on the judiciary system, and hence it is against our party’s long-term stand in upholding judiciary independence.

In my humble opinion, our party mentor should advise our national chairperson to relinquish his post to avoid putting the party values on trial instead of his own personal issues. I believe a decisive resignation from his post is actually good for his and the party’s image.

The DAP cannot condone Umno's ways of handling issues like this while we strive to be a world-class political party for a world-class Malaysia.

It is unfortunate that the national chairperson has to face his corruption charges in his own capacity in order to maintain his good self’s standings as a world-class leader.

In Singapore, both the opposition Workers’ Party and the ruling People’s Action Party would take a consistent stand and action on party leaders or members facing corruption charges or being bogged down by scandals - one has to either quit the party or be expelled.

This is to draw a clear line between a leader’s individual responsibility for his actions and the party’s actual principles and standing on issues. This is more of what a world-class political party should be managed.

The DAP and its national chairperson should abide by the world-class leaders’ standards and temporarily relinquish his post and face his corruption charges in court without involving the party. This would maintain the party’s credibility and public confidence.

In my humble opinion, the deputy chairperson should also recuse himself from acting as the national chairperson’s counsel in court to avoid any conflict of interest, especially in the need to replace the national chair. Or else, it would look as if the whole DAP were on trial.

We must remember that it is the chairperson himself being charged for corruption. If this particular conflict of interest is not handled in accordance with the party’s principle of clean and good governance, we would damage our party’s effort to be a world-class party and hence fail to achieve a world-class Malaysia.

In accordance with the principles of law, the national chair is innocent until proven otherwise. If he is proven innocent, he shall be welcome back. Nonetheless, a clear and world-class party position would help the party win more public credibility and confidence.

I believe he is a capable leader and would be able to make a comeback anytime if he is proven innocent in court. The best example of capable leadership would be like Dr Mahatir Mohamad who had resigned as prime minister in 2003 and yet made a comeback in 2018 at the age of 93.

I humbly opine that the chairperson should step down and let the newly elected central executive committee be free of any baggage in order to lead the party forward, regain public confidence and face the upcoming general election with the best standings.

I wish all party leaders and members with good health and happiness in order to continue the quest for truth and social justice.

Fraternally yours,

Dr Boo Cheng Hau