 | |
| Abbreviation | DAP |
| National Chairman | Gobind Singh Deo |
| National Deputy Chairman | Nga Kor Ming |
| National Vice-Chairman | |
| Secretary-General | Anthony Loke Siew Fook |
| Deputy Secretaries-General | |
| Founders | |
| Founded | 11 October 1965; 60 years ago (1965-10-11) |
| Legalised | 18 March 1966; 59 years ago (1966-03-18) |
| Split from | People's Action Party (Singapore) |
| Preceded by | People's Action Party of Malaya |
| Headquarters | Jalan Yew, 55100Kuala Lumpur |
| Newspaper | The Rocket RoketKini |
| Student wing | Mahasiswa Roket |
| Youth wing | DAP Socialist Youth |
| Membership | 173,000 (2019)[1] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-left[4] |
| National affiliation | Pakatan Harapan (since 2015)[nb 1] |
| Regional affiliation | Network of Social Democracy in Asia |
| International affiliation | Progressive Alliance (since 2012)[nb 2] |
| Colours | Red White Blue |
| Slogan | Malaysian Malaysia andMalaysian First |
| Anthem | Berjuang Untuk Rakyat Malaysia! (Fighting for the Malaysian People!) |
| Dewan Negara: | 6 / 70 |
| Dewan Rakyat: | 40 / 222 |
| Dewan Undangan Negeri: | 90 / 611 |
| Chief minister of states | 1 / 13 |
| Election symbol | |
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| Party flag | |
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| Website | |
| www | |
| This article is part ofa series on the |
| Politics of Malaysia |
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TheDemocratic Action Party (DAP) is asocial democratic andsecularpolitical party inMalaysia, sitting on thecentre-left of the political spectrum.[5] As one of four component parties of thePakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, it formed the federal government after defeatingBarisan Nasional (BN) in the2018 Malaysian general election, ending the party's 53 year-long stay in the opposition. However, before the coalition finished its first term, defections from partnering parties caused it to lose power after 22 months, culminating in the2020 Malaysian political crisis. At the2022 Malaysian general election, the PH coalition which the DAP was part of was returned to power again, albeit without a majority, leading it to form a unity government with political rivals. It is one of the four component parties of thePakatan Harapan ruling coalition inMalaysia.
The DAP was founded in 1965 by Malaya–based members of theSingaporeanPeople's Action Party (PAP),Chen Man Hin andDevan Nair, shortly afterSingapore's expulsion from Malaysia. Singapore's expulsion was in part due to intenseideological differences between the PAP and the federal government, led by theUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The UMNO which favoured the idea ofKetuanan Melayu andMalay nationalism for the country. In contrast, the PAP favoured a moreegalitarian andcivic nationalistMalaysian Malaysia, which the DAP would continue to espouse. Following the expulsion, the PAP was elected as the ruling government of a newly sovereign Singapore and would continue to operate on a platform of civic nationalism. However, unlike the DAP, the PAP became moreconservative and moved towards thecentre-right.
Historically ademocratic socialist party, the DAP draws much of its support fromprogressive voters with a stable electorate from voters ofcities,coastal regions, themiddle class, and theworking class.[6][7] The party's strongholds are primarily in theurban and semi-urban areas ofPenang,Perak,Selangor,Negeri Sembilan,Johor,Malacca and the Federal Territory ofKuala Lumpur.[7] In the2018 Malaysian general election, the party contested in 47 federal and 104 stateconstituencies under the banner of its ally thePeople's Justice Party,[nb 3] winning 42 and 102 seats respectively, except in Sarawak, where the party's state branch chose to contest under its own banner.
The party is the direct successor of thePeninsular Malayan branch of theSingapore–basedPeople's Action Party (PAP), which was then known as thePeople's Action Party of Malaya (PAP–M).Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia led to its deregistration in 1965 by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).[8] The deregistered party's leadership consisted ofDevan Nair (secretary-general),Chen Man Hin (chairman), D. P. Xavier (assistant secretary-general),Goh Hock Guan (vice-chairman) and Seeveratnam Sinnathamby (treasurer), who was the younger brother of Singapore ministerS. Rajaratnam, with Zain Azahari bin Zainal Abidin, Chin Chan Sung, Michael Khong Chye Huat, Tan Chong Bee and Too Chee Cheong as committee members.[9]
On 11 October that year, the name "Democratic Action Party (DAP)" was chosen and officially formed by the remnants of the PAP–M.[10] However, the registration of the party was delayed to 18 March 1966 while the rulingAlliance Party laid out new conditions for the registration of political parties in theSocieties Act 1966. While awaiting the party's registration, party chairman Chen Man Hin won the state constituency of Rahang, Negeri Sembilan as an independent inDecember 1965.[10] In August that year, the official party organ,The Rocket, was first published.
The party adopted the "Setapak Declaration" at the first DAP National Congress held on 29 July 1967, declaring itself "irrevocably committed to the ideal of a free, democratic and socialist Malaysia, based on the principles of racial and religious equality, social and economic justice and founded on the institution ofparliamentary democracy", and later joined theSocialist International (SI), participating in the organisation's International Council inZurich, Switzerland.[11]
In 1967, the party was involved in discussions to form a united front of opposition parties against the Alliance coalition ahead of the1969 general election, although these efforts were eventually unsuccessful.[12][13] In March 1968, the party reached an agreement with thePeople's Progressive Party (PPP) not to contest against each other in the state ofPerak for the upcoming general election.[14] The DAP attempted to achieve a similar arrangement with theUnited Democratic Party (UDP), whose base was inPenang, but its leaderLim Chong Eu rejected the proposal and sarcastically thanked DAP secretary generalGoh Hock Guan for "his very smug condescension."[15] Later that same month, the newly formedParti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (Gerakan) led bySyed Hussein Alatas suggested that the DAP merge into the new party, an offer that was declined.[16]
Devan Nair, the co-founder of the DAP, returned toSingapore in 1969 after being withdrawn as a candidate for the general election that year.[17]Lee Kuan Yew, at the time thePrime Minister of Singapore, explained in 1981 that "the Cabinet decided thatSingapore–Malaysia relations would always be bedevilled if Devan Nair remained a DAP leader. I persuaded him to come back". Nair eventually became thePresident of Singapore from 1981 to 1985.[18] Eventually, the DAP contested a general election for the first time in 1969 together with both the PPP and Gerakan in an electoral pact but under separate banners.[19] In its campaign, the party opposedBumiputera privileges guaranteed underArticle 153 of the Constitution and continued Lee Kuan Yew's call for a "Malaysian Malaysia", which irked many Malayultras.[20][21] The "Malaysian Malaysia" idea was originally conveyed by Lee in theDewan Rakyat prior to Singapore's expulsion: "Malaysia – to whom does it belong? To Malaysians. But who are Malaysians? I hope I am, Mr Speaker, Sir. But sometimes, sitting in this chamber, I doubt whether I am allowed to be a Malaysian".[22][23]
The election results of 1969 saw the DAP winning 13parliamentary seats and 31 state assembly seats, securing 11.96% of the valid votes cast. Gerakan also made significant gains, campaigning on a similar platform inPenang in which theBumiputeras had made up a minority of the state. That election represented the largest breakthrough for an opposition party in Malaysia prior to2008 and came close to unseating the rulingAlliance. However, political rallies that followed triggered racial violence particularly between theChinese and theMalays, resulting in the13 May incident which saw hundreds of deaths.Parliament was suspended, and theNational Operations Council (NOC) was established to govern the country until 1971.[24] When Parliament reconvened, the ruling Alliance passed new laws such as theSedition Act, which criminalised any attempt to challenge constitutional provisions relating toBumiputera privileges, including Article 153. The DAP and the PPP were the only parties that opposed the Act, which was passed by 125 votes to 17.[25] After the 1969 general election, the DAP would never come close to repeating its past successes for the next 38 years. Although the DAP remained a major opposition party, the ruling Alliance coalition and later its successorBarisan Nasional (BN) would clung solidly to its two-thirds parliamentary majority. The DAP, however, continued campaigning on its platform of abolishing theBumiputra privileges, securing equal rights for all Malaysians and to establishing ademocratic socialist state in Malaysia.[26][27]
The party boycotted the National Consultative Council, a body formed in the aftermath of the 1969 racial riots to "establish positive and practical guidelines for inter-racial co-operation and social integration", in protest of the government's continued detention of its secretary-general,Lim Kit Siang, under the Internal Security Act.[28][29]
In 1978, the party experienced a split when founding member and Penang state chairmanYeap Ghim Guan left and formed theSocialist Democratic Party after attempts by the national leadership to take over the party's state leadership. Yeap was joined by the entire state committee and member of parliament forPetaling Oh Keng Seng. They were later joined by party stalwartFan Yew Teng, who had served as acting secretary-general while Lim was detained under the Internal Security Act[30] and was the member of parliament forMenglembu. Those who had left the party all labelled Lim's leadership as "dictatorial".[31]
The party suffered more defections in the lead-up to the1978 Malaysian general election, when one of its most prominent Malay members, Daing Ibrahim Othman, left the party in protest of the leadership's decision to move him to another constituency, which was followed by a number of resignations in Negeri Sembilan for similar reasons.[31]
During theMahathir administration in 1987, several DAP leaders, including Parliamentary Opposition LeaderLim Kit Siang, were detained by the government without trial duringOperation Lalang, under the accusation of being a national security threat. It is widely believed they were arrested for protesting the expansion of theNew Economic Policy.[32]
In 1995, the party ran what has become widely known as the "Robocop" campaign to wrest Penang from theBarisan Nasional, led byTeoh Teik Huat and Gooi Hock Seng. Despite the hype, the campaign was a failure as the party only won one state and three parliamentary seats. Government personalities and state media used the campaign to ridicule Lim for being a "robot" and "soulless".[33]
Following the ousting of Deputy Prime MinisterAnwar Ibrahim in September 1998, DAP co-founded theBarisan Alternatif coalition along withPan-Malaysian Islamic Party and the newly formedPeople's Justice Party. However, the coalition did not work out very well for the DAP, with two of its top leaders,Lim Kit Siang andKarpal Singh losing their Parliamentary seats in the1999 election; the DAP managed to win only 5% (10 out of 193) of the seats in Parliament. PAS became the leading opposition party in Parliament. It left the coalition in 2001 due to a disagreement with PAS over the issue of anIslamic state.[34][35][unreliable source?]
In the2004 general election, the DAP managed to capture 12 seats in Parliament, while PAS and Keadilan suffered major setbacks, with PAS losing 20 of the 27 seats it had held after the 1999 elections, and Keadilan lost all seats except one returned after a recount. The eventual outcome saw Lim Kit Siang, who had been elected in his constituency of Ipoh Timur with a majority of 10,000 votes, formally elected as the leader of the opposition in Parliament, a post he had lost to the president of PAS in 1999.[36]
In the2006 Sarawak state election, the Democratic Action Party won 6 of the 12 seats it contested and narrowly lost three other seats with small majorities.[37] Up til then it was the party's best showing ever in the history ofSarawak's state elections since 1979.
Pakatan Rakyat was formed in 2008 by DAP, PKR and PAS. In the2008 general election, the DAP won 13% (28 out of 222) of the seats in theDewan Rakyat, with PAS and PKR making substantial gains as well with 23 seats and 31 seats respectively. In total, the taking of 82 seats (37%) by the opposition to Barisan Nasional's 140 seats (63%), makes it the best performance in Malaysian history by the opposition, and denied Barisan Nasional the two-thirds majority required to make constitutional changes in the Dewan Rakyat.[38] DAP advisorLim Kit Siang expressed surprise at the election results but declared it to be the true power of the voice of the Malaysian people for the leaders of the country to hear them.[39] In addition, DAP, having secured all its contested seats in the state of Penang, formed the Penang state government with its alliance partners PKR and PAS, the Chief Minister being DAP'sLim Guan Eng, son ofLim Kit Siang.[40]
In the2011 Sarawak state election, DAP furthered its gains from the previous election, winning 12 out of the 70 state assembly seats, with PR winning a total of 15 state seats and 41% of the popular vote. The PR's success was further enhanced in the2013 general election when DAP went on to win 17% (38 out of 222) of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat and the PR coalition won the popular vote, giving the BN government its worst election showing since independence. In 2015, the PR alliance broke up after a PAS Muktamar (General Assembly) motion unanimously approved the breaking of ties with DAP due to disagreements over PAS's decision to propose aprivate member's bill to implement "hudud" (Islamic penal code).[41] Following PAS's decision to cut ties with DAP, DAP announced that PR had "ceased to exist".[42][43]
At the DAP election in December 2012, Vincent Wu, who was initially declared to have secured the sixth spot with 1,202 votes, dropped to 26th place because he had actually secured only 669.Zairil Khir Johari was elected to the central executive committee (CEC) with 803 votes to secure the 20th spot. The glitch, reportedly because of a vote tabulation error due to the copy-and-paste method inMicrosoft Excel, had raised suspicion.[44] The DAP admitted to the counting error after discovering the mistake. The DAP election fiasco had caused unease among party members and led to protests to the Registrar of Societies (RoS). Two dissatisfied life members of the DAP then lodged reports with the RoS on the party elections following the revelations.[45] Following the report the RoS had informed DAP of the dispute by its members and in turn as provided for under Section 3A of the Societies Act 1966 did recognise the office-bearers of the committee formed in the party elections on 15 December 2012, the point of contention.[46]
DAP chairpersonKarpal Singh said DAP will contest under the PAS logo for the Peninsula and PKR logo in Sabah and Sarawak in the 13th general election, following the Registrar of Societies' (RoS) failure to respond on the withdrawal letter of RoS informing that it does not recognise the party's top leadership line-up. DAP had appealed to the RoS to withdraw its letter to suspend the party's existing central executive committee (CEC) but the department was silent on the matter.[47]
On 19 April 2013, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng informed all its 51 parliament and 103 state candidates to use the rocket symbol first during nomination tomorrow, and show the Election Commission the letter of authorisation signed by secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. If the rocket symbol is rejected, then use the letter of authorisation signed by PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali for Peninsula Malaysia and PKR letter of authorisation for Sabah and Sarawak. This came after the DAP decided to use PAS and PKR symbols for the coming general election on 5 May.[47] He said the DAP headquarters inKuala Lumpur received a letter by hand from the RoS at 10 p.m. on 19 April, stating that it had no objections to the DAP using the logo, and that the Election Commission (EC) had informed all returning officers to accept nominations from the DAP.[48]
On 29 September 2013, DAP held aspecial congress to vote for a new Central Executive Committee.[49]
On 22 September 2015, thePakatan Harapan coalition was formed by DAP, PKR and theNational Trust Party to succeed Pakatan Rakyat. In the2016 Sarawak state election, the party lost its gains from the previous election, retaining only 7 of the 12 seats it had won in 2011, while Pakatan Harapan as whole won 10 state seats and 30.16% of the popular vote.
On 12 February 2017,Kota Melaka MP,Sim Tong Him, along with three other DAP state assemblymen fromMelaka, Goh (Duyong),Lim Jack Wong (Bachang), andChin Choong Seong (Kesidang), announced their resignation from the party, citing a lack of trust in the party's leadership.[50]
The party participated in the2018 general election as a part of Pakatan Harapan, now a four-member coalition with the addition ofParti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU). During the election, the coalition won 113 seats and was able to form the federal government after securing an alliance with theSabah Heritage Party.[51][52] The DAP won 42 seats of the 47 seats it contested, making it the second-largest party from Pakatan Harapan in the parliament's lower house behind PKR, which had won 47 seats.[53] The party was given six ministerial portfolios and secured seven deputy minister positions in theSeventh Mahathir cabinet, with then-secretary-general of the party Lim Guan Eng being appointed Minister of Finance, becoming the first person of Malaysian Chinese descent to hold the position in 44 years sinceTan Siew Sin from theMalaysian Chinese Association, who served in that capacity from 1959 until 1974.[54][55] Other ministerial appointments includedLoke Siew Fook as Minister of Transport, who eventually replacedLim Kit Siang as DAP parliamentary leader on 11 July 2018,[56]Kulasegaran Murugeson as Minister of Human Resources,Yeo Bee Yin as Minister of Energy,Teresa Kok as Minister of Primary Industries, andGobind Singh Deo asMinister of Communications and Multimedia.
On 24 February 2020, the DAP became the largest party in the Dewan Rakyat for the first time after 11 of the People's Justice Party's 50 MPs resigned during the political crisis. UMNO had also lost 16 of its 54 MPs over several months, mostly through defections to Bersatu. Though the political crisis resulted in the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government, it retained its 42 MPs. However, over the course of the crisis, a number of state assemblymen defected to opposing coalitions. On 9 March 2020, Paul Yong and A Sivasubramaniam left the party to join the newPerikatan Nasional state government in Perak.[57] The next day on 10 March, DAP expelled Norhizam Hassan Baktee, assemblyman for Pengkalan Batu, over his support for the new Perikatan Nasional government in Melaka.[58] The party also expelled Sabah assemblyman Ronnie Loh for his support of Perikatan's attempt to replace Sabah state government led byShafie Apdal and his Warisan Plus coalition.[59]
Separately, the party's Sarawak vice-chairman and Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei resigned on 27 July 2020, claiming the party had deviated from its objectives and citing his disillusionment with party leadership. He continued to hold his seat as an independent until his term ended in 2021.[60]
DAP was founded byChen Man Hin andDevan Nair, who were ethnic Chinese and Indian respectively. The majority of DAP's party membership is of ethnic Chinese and Indian heritage, with most elected positions within the party being held by Chinese members. While the party has fieldedMalay candidates in every general election since 1969, only five had ever been elected by 2008.[61] Of the five, two had been elected in 1969 as state legislative assemblymen, while the party's first Malay member of parliament was only elected in 1990.[62][63] The DAP also only gained its first native Sabahan (Kadazandusun) legislator in 2013,Edwin Jack Bosi, who sat inSabah State Legislative Assembly.[64] The lack of Malay members within the party has led to DAP being viewed as a "racist" or "anti-Malay" party by political opponents in that it is exclusively concerned with the issues of the Chinese or Indian communities.[65]
Despite constant rebuttals by party leaders, DAP has been depicted by their political opponents, especially from UMNO, as a party that favours theMalaysian Chinese minority above others.[66] This allegation of racial chauvinism culminated[when?] in a two-piece television program broadcast on government-controlled TV channelRadio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) entitled "Bahaya Cauvinisme", which translates to "Dangers of Chauvinism". The program forced then party leader Lim Kit Siang to issue a formal media statement to counter the allegations.[67]
On 15 November 2011,Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the Malaysian Minister for Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism, accused DAP's publicity chief,Tony Pua of racism for making repeated attacks against theKedai Rakyat 1Malaysia, a government initiative to supply cheap retail products to Malaysian consumers. Tony Pua was criticised for singling out Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia, whose suppliers to the store generally come from the Malaysian Bumiputra community, and for not investigating the quality of products supplied by Malaysian-Chinese suppliers or making similar accusations against independent Malaysian-Chinese stores.[68]
Allegations of racism have forced DAP party leader Lim Guan Eng to issue a formal denial in the Penang High Court.[69]
The symbol or logo of the DAP (see above) is the rocket, which it has used since the 1969 general election. Its components are symbolised as follows:
In 2008, DAP initially introduced "Rocket Kid", a rocket as the party's official mascot during the12th Malaysian general election. This was then changed to Ubah bird, ahornbill which was designed by Ooi Leng Hang and was launched during theSarawak state election in 2011 and also used as part of their political campaigning during the13th Malaysian general election in 2013. DAP had adopted this bird as a symbol for change both for its unique characteristics, hardiness and representation of the unity of both East Malaysia and West Malaysia into a Malaysian nation.[70] Its merchandise such as plush toys, buttons and car stickers were very well received by the public.[71] The idea of the mascot came fromSarawak DAP Secretary and future state party chairman,Chong Chieng Jen, who felt a mascot would boost the spirit of the people. The name "Ubah", which means "change" inMalay, is in line with the party's aspirations in changing the ruling party of the Malaysian federal government. In addition to its original SarawakIban costume, "Ubah" now comes in aMalay costume forHari Raya,Indian costume forDeepavali,Chinese costume forChinese New Year,Santa Claus costume forChristmas, and aSuperman costume that depicts the power of the people.[72][73] On 13 July 2013, a gigantic float known as the "Ubah Inflatable Bird (Water Ubah)" was officially launched at IJM Promenade,Jelutong, Penang by DAP Secretary GeneralLim Guan Eng.[70][74]
DAP's official party anthem isBerjuang Untuk Rakyat Malaysia (Fighting for the Malaysian People).[75]
Other than the official party anthem, DAP has also unveiled several theme songs and music videos mostly with an Ubah theme such as "Ubah" with over 1,000,000 views, 明天 with over 500,000 views and "Ubah Rocket Style" with over 300,000 views, which is a parody of the viralYouTube hit "Gangnam Style".[76]
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The Central Executive Committee (CEC) serves as the party's executive body and its 30 members are elected by party delegates during a national congress held every three years. The CEC, in turn, elects the party's national leadership from among its own members, including the Secretary-General, in whom executive power is vested. The current Secretary-General isMinister of TransportAnthony Loke. The latest leadership structure can be found below.[5][77][78]
|
|
| No. | Portrait | Life Advisor (Lifespan) Office | Term of office & mandate (Duration in years and days) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chen Man Hin (1924–2022) MP forSeremban, 1974–1982 & 1983–1990 MP forSeremban Timor, 1969–1974 MLA forRahang, 1965–1982 | 3 December 1999 | 17 August 2022 | 13th (1999) | |
| 22 years, 257 days | 14th (2004) | ||||
| 15th (2008) | |||||
| 16th (2012, 2013, 2017) | |||||
| 17th (2022) | |||||
| No. | Portrait | Advisor (Lifespan) | Term of office & mandate (Duration in years and days) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tan Kok Wai (born 1957) MP forSungai Besi, 1986–1995 MP forCheras, since 1995 | 20 March 2022 | 16 March 2025 | 17th (2022) | |
| 2 years, 361 days | |||||
| 23 June 2025 | Incumbent | 18th (2025) | |||
| 155 days | |||||
| 2 |  | Lim Guan Eng (born 1960) MP forKota Melaka, 1986–1999 MP forBagan, since 2008 MLA forAir Putih, since 2008 | 16 March 2025 | Incumbent | 18th (2025) |
| 254 days | |||||
| No. | Portrait | National Chairman (Lifespan) Office | Term of office & mandate (Duration in years and days) | National Deputy Chairman | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chen Man Hin (1924–2022) MP forSeremban, 1974–1982 & 1983–1990 MP forSeremban Timor, 1969–1974 MLA forRahang, 1965–1982 | 18 March 1966 | 3 December 1999 | 1st (1967) | ||
| 33 years, 260 days | 2nd (1969) | |||||
| 12th (1995) | ||||||
| 2 |  | Lim Kit Siang (born 1941) MP forBandar Melaka, 1969–1974 MP forKota Melaka, 1974–1978 & 1982–1986 MP forPetaling, 1978–1982 MP forTanjong, 1986–1999 MP forIpoh Timor, 2004–2013 MP forGelang Patah, 2013–2018 MP forIskandar Puteri, 2018–2022 MLA for Kubu, 1974–1982 MLA for Kampong Kolam, 1986–1990 MLA forPadang Kota, 1990–1995 | 3 December 1999 | 4 September 2004 | 13th (1999) | |
| 4 years, 276 days | ||||||
| 3 |  | Karpal Singh (1940–2014) MP forJelutong, 1978–1999 MP forBukit Gelugor, 2004–2014 | 4 September 2004 | 29 March 2014 | 14th (2004) | Tan Kok Wai (–2014) |
| 9 years, 206 days | 15th (2008) 16th (2012, 2013) | |||||
| 4 | Tan Kok Wai (born 1957) MP forSungai Besi, 1986–1995 MP forCheras, since 1995 | 29 March 2014 | 20 March 2022 | – 16th (2017) | Gobind Singh Deo (since 2017) | |
| 7 years, 356 days | ||||||
| 5 | | Lim Guan Eng (born 1960) MP forKota Melaka, 1986–1999 MP forBagan, since 2008 MLA forAir Putih, since 2008 | 20 March 2022 | 16 March 2025 | 17th (2022) | |
| 3 years, 250 days | ||||||
| 6 | | Gobind Singh Deo (born 1973) MP forPuchong, 2008–2022 MP forDamansara, since 2022 | 16 March 2025 | Incumbent | 18th (2025) | Nga Kor Ming (since 2025) |
| 254 days | ||||||
| No. | Portrait | Secretary-General (Lifespan) Office | Term of office & mandate (Duration in years and days) | Deputy Secretary-General | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .png) | Devan Nair (1923–2005) MP forBangsar, 1964–1969 | 18 March 1966 | 30 July 1967 | – | D. P. Xavier |
| 1 year, 134 days | ||||||
| 2 | .jpg) | Goh Hock Guan (1935–2018) MP forBangsar, 1969–1974 | 30 July 1967 | 1 October 1969 | 1st (1967) | |
| 2 years, 63 days | ||||||
| 3 | | Lim Kit Siang (born 1941) MP forBandar Melaka, 1969–1974 MP forKota Melaka, 1974–1978 & 1982–1986 MP forPetaling, 1978–1982 MP forTanjong, 1986–1999 MP forIpoh Timor, 2004–2013 MP forGelang Patah, 2013–2018 MP forIskandar Puteri, 2018–2022 MLA for Kubu, 1974–1982 MLA for Kampong Kolam, 1986–1990 MLA forPadang Kota, 1990–1995 | 1 October 1970 | 3 December 1999 | 2nd (1969) | Lim Guan Eng (1995–2004) |
| 29 years, 63 days | 12th (1995) | |||||
| 4 | Kerk Kim Hock (1956–2017) MP forPasir Pinji, 1990–1999 MP forKota Melaka, 1999–2004 MLA for Durian Daun, 1986–1990 | 3 December 1999 | 5 May 2002 | 13th (1999) | ||
| 2 years, 153 days | ||||||
| 22 September 2002 | 28 March 2004 | |||||
| 1 year, 188 days | ||||||
| 5 | | Lim Guan Eng (born 1960) MP forKota Melaka, 1986–1999 MP forBagan, since 2008 MLA forAir Putih, since 2008 | 4 September 2004 | 20 March 2022 | 14th (2004) | Chong Eng (–2017) |
Ramasamy Palanisamy (–2017) | ||||||
Ngeh Koo Ham (–2017) | ||||||
| Nga Kor Ming (2017–2022) | ||||||
| 15th (2008) | ||||||
| 16th (2012,2013 & 2017) | Teresa Kok Suh Sim (2017–2022) | |||||
| 17 years, 197 days | V. Sivakumar (2017–2025) | |||||
| 6 | | Anthony Loke Siew Fook (born 1977) MP forRasah, 2008–2013 MP forSeremban, since 2013 MLA forLobak, 2004–2013 MLA forChennah, since 2013 | 20 March 2022 | Incumbent | 17th (2022) 18th (2025) | |
| 3 years, 250 days | Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji (2022–2025) | |||||
Liew Chin Tong (2022–2025) | ||||||
Steven Sim Chee Keong (since 2025) | ||||||
Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan.jpg) (since 2025) | ||||||
| Ramkarpal Singh (since 2025) | ||||||
| No. | Portrait | Acting Secretary-General (Lifespan) Office | Term of office & mandate (Duration in years and days) | Deputy Secretary-General | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fan Yew Teng (1942–2010) MP forKampar, 1969–1974 MP forMenglembu, 1974–1978 MLA for Petaling Jaya, 1974–1978 | 1 October 1969 | 1 October 1970 | – 2nd (1969) | ||
| 1 year, 0 days | ||||||
| 2 | Chong Eng (born 1957) MP forBukit Mertajam, 1999–2013 MLA forBatu Lancang, 1995–1999 MLA forPadang Lalang, 2013–2023 | 5 May 2002 | 22 September 2002 | – 13th (1999) | ||
| 140 days | ||||||
| 3 |  | M. Kulasegaran (born 1957) MP forTeluk Intan, 1997–1999 MP forIpoh Barat, since 2004 | 28 March 2004 | 4 September 2004 | ||
| 184 days | ||||||
Note: The Acting Secretary-General is appointed when the Secretary-General is incapable of carrying out their duties or if the position is vacated before an election can be held.. Lim Kit Siang was elected as Secretary-General in October 1969 while detained under the ISA and Fan Yew Teng was Acting Secretary-General. Chong Eng took over for Kerk Kim Hock while the latter sought treatment for rectal cancer. M. Kulasegaran was Acting Secretary-General after Kerk Kim Hock lost his seat in parliament and resigned before Lim Guan Eng was elected Secretary-General.
| No. | Portrait | Chairman of Central Policy and Strategic Planning Commission (Lifespan) Office | Term of office & mandate (Duration in years and days) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Lim Kit Siang (born 1941) MP forBandar Melaka, 1969–1974 MP forKota Melaka, 1974–1978 & 1982–1986 MP forPetaling, 1978–1982 MP forTanjong, 1986–1999 MP forIpoh Timor, 2004–2013 MP forGelang Patah, 2013–2018 MP forIskandar Puteri, 2018–2022 MLA for Kubu, 1974–1982 MLA for Kampong Kolam, 1986–1990 MLA forPadang Kota, 1990–1995 | 4 September 2004 | Incumbent | 14th (2004) |
| 21 years, 82 days | 15th (2008) | ||||
| 16th (2012, 2013, 2017) | |||||
| 17th (2022) | |||||
Note: Chairman of the Central Policy and Strategic Planning Commission is a newly created position on 2004 when Lim Kit Siang refused to be re-elected as Chairman of DAP.
| No. | Portrait | Parliamentary Leader (Lifespan) Office | Term of office & mandate (Duration in years and days) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Lim Kit Siang (born 1941) MP forBandar Melaka, 1969–1974 MP forKota Melaka, 1974–1978 & 1982–1986 MP forPetaling, 1978–1982 MP forTanjong, 1986–1999 MP forIpoh Timor, 2004–2013 MP forGelang Patah, 2013–2018 MP forIskandar Puteri, 2018–2022 MLA for Kubu, 1974–1982 MLA for Kampong Kolam, 1986–1990 MLA forPadang Kota, 1990–1995 | 5 March 2008 | 11 July 2018 | 15th (2008) 16th (2012, 2013, 2017) |
| 10 years, 128 days | |||||
| 2 | | Anthony Loke Siew Fook (born 1977) MP forRasah, 2008–2013 MP forSeremban, since 2013 MLA forLobak, 2004–2013 MLA forChennah, since 2013 | 11 July 2018 | 20 March 2022 | – 16th (2012, 2013, 2017) |
| 3 years, 252 days | |||||
| 3 | | Nga Kor Ming (born 1972) MP forTaiping, 2008–2018 MP forTeluk Intan, since 2018 MLA forPantai Remis, 1999–2013 MLA forKepayang, 2013–2018, since 2022 MLA forAulong, 2018–2022 | 20 March 2022 | 23 June 2025 | 17th (2022) 18th (2025) |
| 3 years, 95 days | |||||
| 4 |  | Chong Chieng Jen (born 1971) MP forBandar Kuching, 2004–2018 MP forStampin, since 2021 MLA forKota Sentosa, 2006–2021 MLA forPadungan, since 2021 | 23 June 2025 | Incumbent | – 18th (2025) |
| 155 days | |||||
DAP has 40 members in theHouse of Representatives.
| State | Leader type | Member | Party | State Constituency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Penang | Chief Minister | Chow Kon Yeow | DAP | Padang Kota | |
| State | Leader type | Member | Party | State Constituency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penang | Deputy Chief Minister II | Jagdeep Singh Deo | DAP | Datok Keramat | |
| Election | Total seats won | Seats contested | Total votes | Share of votes | Outcome of election | Election leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 (asPAP) | 1 / 144 | 11 | 42,130 | 2.0% |  1 seats;Opposition | Lee Kuan Yew |
| 1969 | 13 / 144 | 24 | 286,606 | 12.1% | 12 seats;Opposition | Goh Hock Guan |
| 1974 | 9 / 144 | 46 | 387,845 | 18.3% |  4 seats;Opposition | Lim Kit Siang |
| 1978 | 16 / 154 | 53 | 664,433 | 19.1% | 7 seats;Opposition | Lim Kit Siang |
| 1982 | 9 / 154 | 63 | 815,473 | 19.6% | 7 seats;Opposition | Lim Kit Siang |
| 1986 | 24 / 154 | 64 | 968,009 | 21.0% | 15 seats;Opposition | Lim Kit Siang |
| 1990 | 20 / 180 | 57 | 985,228 | 17.13% | 4 seats;Opposition coalition (Gagasan Rakyat) | Lim Kit Siang |
| 1995 | 9 / 192 | 50 | 712,175 | 12.0% | 11 seats;Opposition coalition (Gagasan Rakyat) | Lim Kit Siang |
| 1999 | 10 / 193 | 47 | 830,870 | 12.53% | 1 seats;Opposition coalition (Barisan Alternatif) | Lim Kit Siang |
| 2004 | 12 / 219 | 44 | 687,340 | 9.9% | 2 seats;Opposition | Kerk Kim Hock(Secretary-general) Lim Kit Siang(Chairman, Central Policy & Strategic Planning Commission) |
| 2008 | 28 / 222 | 47 | 1,118,025 | 13.77% | 16 seats;Opposition coalition (Pakatan Rakyat) | Lim Guan Eng(Secretary-general) Lim Kit Siang(Parliamentary Leader) |
| 2013 | 38 / 222 | 51 | 1,736,601 | 15.71% | 10 seats;Opposition coalition (Pakatan Rakyat) | Lim Guan Eng(Secretary-general) Lim Kit Siang(Parliamentary Leader) |
| 2018 | 42 / 222 | 47 | 2,040,068 | 18.48% | 4 seats;Governing coalition, laterOpposition coalition (Pakatan Harapan) | Lim Guan Eng(Secretary-general) Lim Kit Siang(Parliamentary Leader) |
| 2022 | 40 / 222 | 55 | 2,422,577 | 15.61% | 2 seats;Governing Coalition (Pakatan Harapan) | Lim Guan Eng(Chairman) Anthony Loke(Secretary-general) |
| State election | State Legislative Assembly | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perlis | Kedah | Kelantan | Terengganu | Penang | Perak | Pahang | Selangor | Negeri Sembilan | Malacca | Johor | Sabah | Sarawak | Total won / Total contested | |
| 2/3 majority | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 3 | |
| 1964 (as PAP) | 0 / 12 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 40 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 28 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 20 | 0 / 32 | 0 / 15 | ||
| 1969 | 0 / 12 | 0 / 24 | 0 / 30 | 0 / 24 | 3 / 24 | 6 / 40 | 0 / 24 | 9 / 28 | 8 / 24 | 4 / 20 | 1 / 32 | 0 / 48 | 31 / 57 | |
| 1974 | 0 / 12 | 1 / 26 | 0 / 36 | 0 / 28 | 2 / 27 | 11 / 42 | 0 / 32 | 1 / 33 | 3 / 24 | 4 / 20 | 1 / 32 | 0 / 48 | 23 / 120 | |
| 1978 | 0 / 12 | 0 / 26 | 0 / 28 | 5 / 27 | 9 / 42 | 0 / 32 | 3 / 33 | 3 / 24 | 4 / 20 | 1 / 32 | 25 / 127 | |||
| 1979 | 0 / 48 | 0 / 11 | ||||||||||||
| 1982 | 0 / 12 | 0 / 26 | 0 / 36 | 0 / 28 | 2 / 27 | 4 / 42 | 1 / 32 | 1 / 33 | 2 / 24 | 2 / 20 | 0 / 32 | 12 / 131 | ||
| 1983 | 0 / 48 | 0 / 7 | ||||||||||||
| 1985 | 0 / 48 | 0 / 3 | ||||||||||||
| 1986 | 0 / 14 | 0 / 28 | 0 / 39 | 0 / 32 | 10 / 33 | 13 / 46 | 1 / 33 | 5 / 42 | 4 / 28 | 3 / 20 | 1 / 36 | 0 / 48 | 37 / 118 | |
| 1987 | 0 / 56 | 0 / 11 | ||||||||||||
| 1990 | 0 / 14 | 1 / 28 | 0 / 39 | 0 / 32 | 14 / 33 | 13 / 46 | 1 / 33 | 6 / 42 | 4 / 28 | 3 / 20 | 3 / 36 | 0 / 48 | 45 / 94 | |
| 1991 | 0 / 56 | 0 / 18 | ||||||||||||
| 1994 | 0 / 48 | 0 / 2 | ||||||||||||
| 1995 | 0 / 15 | 0 / 36 | 0 / 43 | 0 / 32 | 1 / 33 | 1 / 52 | 1 / 38 | 3 / 48 | 2 / 32 | 3 / 25 | 0 / 40 | 11 / 103 | ||
| 1996 | 3 / 62 | 3 / 6 | ||||||||||||
| 1999 | 0 / 15 | 0 / 36 | 0 / 43 | 0 / 32 | 1 / 33 | 4 / 52 | 1 / 38 | 1 / 48 | 0 / 32 | 4 / 25 | 0 / 40 | 0 / 48 | 11 / 88 | |
| 2001 | 1 / 62 | 1 / 13 | ||||||||||||
| 2004 | 0 / 15 | 0 / 36 | 0 / 45 | 0 / 32 | 1 / 40 | 7 / 59 | 1 / 42 | 2 / 56 | 2 / 36 | 2 / 28 | 0 / 56 | 0 / 60 | 15 / 104 | |
| 2006 | 6 / 71 | 6 / 12 | ||||||||||||
| 2008 | 0 / 15 | 1 / 36 | 0 / 45 | 0 / 32 | 19 / 40 | 18 / 59 | 2 / 42 | 13 / 56 | 10 / 36 | 5 / 28 | 4 / 56 | 1 / 60 | 73 / 102 | |
| 2011 | 12 / 71 | 12 / 15 | ||||||||||||
| 2013 | 0 / 15 | 2 / 36 | 0 / 45 | 0 / 32 | 19 / 40 | 18 / 59 | 7 / 42 | 15 / 56 | 11 / 36 | 6 / 28 | 13 / 56 | 4 / 60 | 95 / 103 | |
| 2016 | 7 / 82 | 7 / 31 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | 0 / 15 | 2 / 36 | 0 / 45 | 0 / 32 | 19 / 40 | 18 / 59 | 7 / 42 | 16 / 56 | 11 / 36 | 8 / 28 | 14 / 56 | 6 / 60 | 101 / 104 | |
| 2020 | 6 / 73 | 6 / 7 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 4 / 28 | 4 / 8 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | 2 / 82 | 2 / 26 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 10 / 56 | 10 / 14 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | 0 / 15 | 18 / 59 | 6 / 42 | 24 / 30 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | 1 / 36 | 0 / 45 | 0 / 32 | 19 / 40 | 15 / 56 | 11 / 36 | 46 / 47 | |||||||
| 2025 | 0 / 73 | 0 / 8 | ||||||||||||
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