About DAP

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) was formed in October 1965 based on the ideology of social democracy; with freedom, social justice, equal opportunity, and solidarity as its main tenets.

The party was formally registered on March 18, 1966 and the official organ of the Party, the Rocket, made its inaugural appearance in August 1966. DAP contested its first general election three years later, winning 13 Parliamentary and 31 State Assembly seats.

DAP’s strong commitment towards social justice have not gone unpunished. Leaders and supporters of the party have been forced to pay a heavy price for their political beliefs, this includes being detained under the Internal Security Act, jailed on politically trumped-up charges or victimized in a variety of ways.

Starting from the nineties, DAP began uniting the protest vote by joining several political coalitions. These include Gagasan Rakyat (1990-1995); Barisan Alternatif (1999-2001; Pakatan Rakyat (2008-2015); and then Pakatan Harapan (2015-present). These partnerships proved crucial in expanding DAP’s vision of a united Malaysia.

In 2008, a new political scenario emerged when the Barisan National (BN) government lost their two-thirds parliamentary majority after mass discontent over rising prices, surging crime, and fraught inter-racial ties.

BN also lost the Penang state to DAP. Under the DAP state administration, Penang has grown to become highly successful from an economic perspective.

In addition to winning numerous accolades, Penang has also been named a top travel destination choice by the New York Times, Yahoo, CNN, TIME, Forbes, and Lonely Planet for its food, culture, and sustainable green living.

In the 2018 general election, history was made when the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition ended BN’s 60 years of dominance over Malaysia. Some of PH’s achievements include the abolition of the Good and Services Tax (GST), the stabilisation of petrol prices, price control for basic commodities, the introduction of a monthly transportation pass, the decrease in broadband internet charges, decrease in toll charges and eliminating the PTPTN loan blacklist.

For the first time in history, DAP leaders also headed key ministries such as: Finance, Transport, and Primary Industries among others. Even though the PH government only lasted 22 months due to a political backdoor coup, it made a substantial impact in Malaysian politics.

There was a marked improvement in Malaysia’s global corruption ranking thanks to the swift action taken by the PH government to clean up financial scandals in Malaysia such as 1MDB, SRC International, Felda and Tabung Haji.

As we look forward to the future, DAP will continue to strive for a “Malaysian Malaysia” where all citizens can enjoy justice, freedom, democracy, and good governance regardless of race, religion, or creed.