Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister And DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 8.5.2016.
DAP congratulates Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem on his big win in the Sarawak elections yesterday. DAP hopes that he can fulfil his promises of a Sarawak that is prosperous and fair to all regardless of race and religion, restore economic rights and political autonomy that will respect the rights, honour and dignity of Sarawakians.
DAP thanks all voters who supported the party and accepts the results of the Sarawak state elections. DAP’s loss of 5 state seats out of the previous 12 seats was due to the personal popularity of Tan Sri Adenan. Tan Sri Adenan’s personal popularity overcame whatever unease at the barring of opposition leaders from Peninsular Malaysia into Sarawak and the extensive use of money politics.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should be thankful that Tan Sri Adenan’s popularity allowed the Sarawak electorate to overlook BN’s abuses of power, financial scandals of RM4.2 billon donation or RM50 billion 1MDB, and even ignore the suffering of higher prices caused by GST. DAP rejects the claim by Najib that the big win by BN in the Sarawak state elections is an endorsement of the GST when not one voter, including pro-BN voters, expressed support for the GST.
The party will conduct a post-mortem and await a full report from our DAP Sarawak Chair Chong Chien Jen on our losses, including our failure to make any headway when we contested in rural Dayak seats. However there are glimmers of hope in several Dayak constituencies, where the DAP candidate obtained some support. As politics is a long-term struggle, our leaders must continue their work in these areas under the Impian Sarawak programme, as well as to regain our lost seats.
DAP will continue to work with our allies in Pakatan Harapan, PKR and Amanah. We need to address the disappointment of our supporters, not just as a political party, but also as Pakatan Harapan. There is a need to strengthen the internal mechanisms within Pakatan Harapan so that agreements made must be respected and upheld. Pakatan must wok hard to restore public confidence of our ability to work together in concert against BN.
Tan Sri Adenan has been able to reinvent himself and shown a new political path or model to reverse BN’s slide in popularity and support since the 2008 general elections. The big challenge of Pakatan Harapan is whether Datuk Seri Najib dares to adopt the Tan Sri Adenan model by rejecting extremist and racist policies. Should Najib dare to do so, then Pakatan Harapan may face a fight for survival in the next general elections.
LIM GUAN ENG
槟州首席部长兼民主行动党秘书长林冠英于2016年5月8日在吉隆坡发表文告：
民主行动党恭贺砂拉越首席部长丹斯里阿德南在昨日的砂州选举中取得巨大的胜利。民主行动党希望接下来他能履行承诺，将砂州带往昌盛繁荣，同时公平对待所有种族及宗教，取回砂拉越的经济权益及政治自主权，光复砂拉越人的权利、荣耀与尊严。
民主行动党接受砂州选举的成绩，我们也要感谢所有支持者对火箭的力挺。在阿德南超人气的声望下，民主行动党在此役中从过往的12席失去了5席。看来他的人气声望，已经淹没了禁止西马反对党领袖进入砂州，还有铺天盖地而来的金钱政治所引起的种种不安。
首相拿督斯里纳吉应该感恩，因为拜阿德南的声望所赐，砂州选民得以无视国阵的种种弊端，诸如滥权、42亿令吉捐款、1MDB的500亿令吉金融丑闻，甚至是被压得喘不过气的消费税。民主行动党拒绝认同首相的说辞，即国阵在砂州取得巨大的胜利，乃证明了人民认同消费税，因为从未有过一个选民，甚至是国阵的支持者们表达对消费税的支持。
民主行动党将会对此役做出检讨。我们也在等待砂拉越民主行动党主席张健仁针对此次的失败，包括在达雅乡区的竞选无法取得任何突破做出详尽的报告。无论如何，我们的候选人在一些达雅选区中还是取得一些支持，算是叫人看到希望的微光。我们深知，政治是长远的斗争，所以接下来的日子里，我们的领袖依旧会投入心力，持续在“砂拉越之梦”的计划下在相关选区深耕，同时亦部署取回失去的议席。
民主行动党会与希望联盟的众盟友，即公正党与诚信党继续携手合作。面对支持者的失望，不管是个别政党以致整个希望联盟，我们都必须认真以待。未来，希望联盟的内部机制必须要加以强化，以便彼此之间的协议能够获得尊重与落实。要重新赢得大众的信心与信任，联盟得投入更多的精力，才能获得选民的支持来和与国阵抗衡。
在2008年大选后，国阵的支持度显著下滑，然而，丹斯里阿德南在此役中却成功重塑个人威望，展现出政治的新路线或新模式。现在，希望联盟最大的挑战乃在于纳吉是否敢于采用阿德南的模式，即拒绝极端及种族主义政策。若是纳吉真的沿用这个模式，那希望联盟在下届的大选中就会面临存亡的生死关头了。
林冠英