Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
SIBU: DAP needs to be innovative and not be seen as ‘selling’ the same old products in every election.
PBB supreme council member Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah in pointing this out yesterday, commented that the party needed to change its image before thinking about going into the hinterlands.
He was reacting to the media report that DAP Sarawak had set up its Socialist Youth or ‘Dapsy’ Sarawak to expand its political strength and enhance penetration into rural areas throughout the state.
Newly-installed chairman of Dapsy Sarawak Wong King Wei, who is also Padungan assemblyman, reportedly said the youth movement would play a supplementary role to the main body to push for success in the party’s ‘Go Rural’ and ‘Help Sarawak’ projects.
“It’s good that DAP Sarawak has come up with its Dapsy to supplement its main body. They have to come up with new ideas and be innovative as DAP definitely cannot be ‘selling’ (the) same old products every election.
“They must be seen to be proactive,” Abdul Karim, who is Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman, said.
He, however, said whether DAP could play a big role and be accepted especially in the rural areas, has yet to be seen.
DAP, though multi-racial, in reality is by far a Chinese-based party and in Sarawak is seen as an urban-based Chinese party.
“I am unsure they can make inroads into the interior. They have to change their racialist image first before even thinking of going to the Bumi hinterland.
“I would like to see how many Bumi sits in the Dapsy main committee. Is there any? Even in the state DAP committee, one could hardly see a Bumi, what more this Dapsy,” Abdul Karim said while wishing Wong the best in leading Dapsy.