PETALNG JAYA, Apr 13 (Sin Chew Daily) — DAP veteran Liew Ah Kim says Tony Phua and Hannah Yeoh are both tasting the fruit of the efforts of the party's founding fathers but have opted to negate their contributions.

"If not for the political struggle of the past, how could DAP get the support of 95% of Chinese Malaysians? We must never go against our own conscience!"

Liew said these young elite leaders of the party today have misinterpreted the party's multiracial approach as flattery, asserting that doing so will not win them much respect.

He told Sin Chew Daily DAP had been upholding parliamentary democracy and the country's constitution which has specifically stated that the rights of the minorities in this country shall be protected.

"Some say I am an old Chinese chauvinist, but without people like us, DAP will not be what it is today. These old Chinese chauvinists are a bunch of people who steadfastly cling on to the party's early principles."

He explained that party literature, including the Setapak Declaration, had explicitly outlined the party's objectives of political struggle, but unfortunately this is being distorted today by some as being chauvinistic.

"We won't win the respect of other people if we abandon our goal of defending our rights just to please other races."

Liew said respect would only be earned if we were firm in our stand and not being flattering.

Prior to this, DAP central committee member and Sungai Pelek assemblyman Ronnie Liu had said during the launch of Liew Ah Kim's new book that DAP must not attempt to dilute its "Chineseness" just because of the criticism of rival politicians. In its stead, the party must continue to defend the party's culture, constitutional spirit, pluralism and democratic struggle.

Liu said DAP being a party for all Malaysians must work with other Malay parties, but that does not mean the party should sacrifice its dignity and make it a non-Chinese party.

DAP national publicity secretary Tony Phua and MP for Segambut Hannah Yeoh have since issued statements to rebut Liu's views.

Phua said if DAP were to go down the way of MCA, a Chinese party, its political struggle would backslide by decades.

"MCA has 'Chineseness-ed' themselves into oblivion today. They are completely at the mercy of the whims and fancies of Malay parties like Umno who provide MCA with political life support."

On this, Liew said DAP would only become MCA 2.0 if the party foregoes its principles.

He said he once left DAP but later decided to come back because he loved the party. However, he lamented that he had not seen much improvement from the party.

"Especially those 22 months as a ruling party. It was downright a huge reversal. Suddenly DAP became a stranger to many people. It didn't look like the party we used to know!"

Liew nevertheless admitted that it was a good thing for party members to debate on the party's direction in  a rational way so that people will get to know the party's ideology and the objectives of its struggle.

When asked whether he would quit DAP again out of frustration or would remain in the party to continue his struggle, Liew said he was not sure, as this would depend on how the grassroots respond to this.

"Many grassroots members are scolding me. Of course there are people who praise me. Anyway, all I hope is DAP will relive its glorious past and not to fade into oblivion."