Tajem open to DAP-Snap merger proposal
Snap adviser Daniel Tajem said the idea of a merger between his party and DAP should not be dismissed outright because "we cannot be doing any worse than we are right now".
Contacted by Malaysiakini today, Tajem said nobody in Snap has asked his opinion of the matter yet, but "if they do, I would advice that they not dismiss it outright".
"We have been, at least I have been, through the worst election experience of my life where 21 of the 26 candidates we fielded lost their deposits," he said.
Tajem, 75, said he expected a formal meeting of the party to be held soon to discuss the future of Snap.
"Sure, the election results were disastrous but when we decided to restore Snap to its strength of old, we were not thinking of just the election that was held recently but of the long-term future of the Dayaks within the Malaysian nation," offered Tajem.
"This proposal of a merger between Snap and DAP is something that we could not have thought about because it's outside the frame of our thinking about the future of Dayaks," he said.
"But given our disastrous performance in the recent election we cannot be doing any worse than we are right now," opined Tajem.
Litmus test
He continued: "All my years in politics I have not seen a debacle as bad as the one Snap has just gone through. I don't think it helps our situation to blame anyone or any factor for the disaster.
"
Instead, we should concentrate on the longer term which was what I, when I agreed to become the adviser, had my eyes fixed on.
"It so happened that the election interposed between our desire to revive Snap and our need to fly our colours at the polls.
"Now that the election results have come in and these have been disastrous for Snap, we should consider as wide a range of options as we can."
Tajem said the litmus test of any option was whether it would be good for the future of the Dayaks.
"That's why I would advise against dismissing outright the proposal of a merger with the DAP," he said.
Contacted by Malaysiakini today, Tajem said nobody in Snap has asked his opinion of the matter yet, but "if they do, I would advice that they not dismiss it outright".
"We have been, at least I have been, through the worst election experience of my life where 21 of the 26 candidates we fielded lost their deposits," he said.Tajem, 75, said he expected a formal meeting of the party to be held soon to discuss the future of Snap.
"Sure, the election results were disastrous but when we decided to restore Snap to its strength of old, we were not thinking of just the election that was held recently but of the long-term future of the Dayaks within the Malaysian nation," offered Tajem.
"This proposal of a merger between Snap and DAP is something that we could not have thought about because it's outside the frame of our thinking about the future of Dayaks," he said.
"But given our disastrous performance in the recent election we cannot be doing any worse than we are right now," opined Tajem.
Litmus test
He continued: "All my years in politics I have not seen a debacle as bad as the one Snap has just gone through. I don't think it helps our situation to blame anyone or any factor for the disaster.
"
Instead, we should concentrate on the longer term which was what I, when I agreed to become the adviser, had my eyes fixed on."It so happened that the election interposed between our desire to revive Snap and our need to fly our colours at the polls.
"Now that the election results have come in and these have been disastrous for Snap, we should consider as wide a range of options as we can."
Tajem said the litmus test of any option was whether it would be good for the future of the Dayaks.
"That's why I would advise against dismissing outright the proposal of a merger with the DAP," he said.
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