Party leaders have spent two days at its national leadership retreat, which ended today, to work out strategies to overcome its image problem and seek solutions.

In a statement issued today at the end of the retreat, the party said: “The closed-door session discussed research on political issues and the popularity of DAP and Pakatan Harapan. Internal debates were also held to outline DAP’s goal in their cooperation with their partners in Harapan, in order to claim Putrajaya.”

About 200 leaders took part in the retreat, including national leaders, MPs and assemblymen, and leaders of the Youth and Women’s wings.

The DAP has long been described by Umno leaders as a Chinese chauvinist party, which party leaders have rebutted by pointing out that it was founded as a multi-racial party with membership open to all.

However it has struggled for decades to attract more Malay members and make itself more acceptable to Malay voters.

A recent survey by Darul Ehsan Institute in Selangor showed that 72 per cent of respondents agreed that DAP was a racial party that only looked after the interests of the Chinese, and 64 per cent agreed that “DAP is an anti-Malay and anti-Islam party.”

However, in recent years the DAP has attracted notable Malay members such as the poet A Samad Said, Raub MP Mohd Ariff Sabri, journalist Aspan Alias and Wan Hamidi Hamid.

Today’s DAP statement said the party was trying to portray the next general election as a battle not based on race.

Other issues discussed at the retreat included the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement and their preparation for the coming Sarawak state elections.