Malaysia's DAP to Vote Aug 16 on Cabinet Exit
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- DAP delegates (4,000+) will vote by secret ballot on Aug 16 on whether the party's 5 Cabinet ministers and 6 deputy ministers should resign from PM Anwar Ibrahim's unity government
- The vote follows state election setbacks — DAP lost all 8 seats it contested in Sabah's November 2025 election, and Pakatan Harapan lost power in Negeri Sembilan after leading the state for two terms
- Even if delegates vote to pull ministers from Cabinet, DAP leaders say the party will continue parliamentary support for the unity government until the current term ends
- Analysts warn a Cabinet pullout could force PM Anwar Ibrahim to call a snap general election, though GE16 is not due until February 2028; DAP holds 40 of 222 parliamentary seats — the most in PH
- Secretary-General Anthony Loke lost his Chennah seat after three terms in the Negeri Sembilan election, but party leaders describe his standing as intact; he has resigned as state DAP chief
- Former deputy minister Ong Kian Ming said many delegates want to signal that DAP leaders and Anwar have fallen short on promised political and institutional reforms, with grassroots disillusionment running deep
- Tronoh assemblyman Steven Tiw argued DAP should stay in government to honor its mandate from the 15th general election, while former MP Charles Santiago predicted delegates will ultimately vote to stay to avoid triggering a political crisis
Why it matters: DAP's Aug 16 vote could effectively collapse PM Anwar's unity government and force a snap election — 4,000 delegates will weigh staying in Cabinet against frustration over stalled reforms and a string of state losses culminating in PH losing Negeri Sembilan after two terms, with DAP holding the most seats of any PH component.
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