The 74-year-old, who was with PAS and PKR, today received his life membership card from DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang.
Also present was DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke.
Yeop Adlan’s father Che Rose Abdullah, who contested on a DAP ticket in the Alor Pongsu by-election in Perak in 1974, had told his son that it was the right party to move the country forward.
“I am joining DAP because it is a multiracial party and a way to move forward for all Malaysians,” he said during a press conference at DAP headquarters here.
Yeop Adlan, who joined the DAP through its PJ Utara branch, added that DAP had proven itself by governing Penang effectively.
It had done so much more for the state in two terms than what Barisan Nasional (BN) had done over so many years.
“If they can govern Penang so well, why not the whole country? What more proof do you want?” he told the reporters.
Yeop Adlan was the Malaysian ambassador to Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. He joined PAS in 2003 and was seconded to PKR in 2006 although he remained a PAS member till 2009.
Asked what took him so long to join the party his father was passionate about, he said: “It was a journey for me as well as a process of learning.
“I realise he was right all the time. In the meantime, I lost hope and lost faith (with the government).”
He said the BN government until today continued to be involved in vote buying and creating fear among the rural folk that the Chinese would rule Malaysia if Umno lost.
Asked why he left PKR, the Oxford graduate said it was because the party was in a shambles at that point of time.
“Anwar was jailed. It was difficult to move forward.”
On PAS, he said the party based its political struggles on religion and exclusiveness.
Asked if he was still a PAS member, he said he was still holding a PAS membership card but he would write immediately to the party to inform it of his resignation.
Malays in Singapore are comfortable there
Yeop Adlan claimed Umno was no longer fighting for the rights of the Malays.
“Have they done so? They have hijacked the Malay privileges for themselves and for their cronies,” he alleged.
He said corruption was getting worse and “things have to change for the sake of the country”.
He acknowledged the Malays were reluctant to join DAP because it was still seen as a Chinese-based party.
“As long as the simple minds are persuaded by fear, it is very difficult to win them over,” he explained.
However, he said one only needed to look at Singapore to know how the Malays would fare.
“Have the Malays there felt they have been intimidated and they want to run away and migrate here?
“No. They are comfortable there. In fact, Malays (from Malaysia) are crossing there to seek jobs.”
He added that when the British left Malaysia they left behind a good administration, health services, police, army and schools.
“Of course, when they were here they did it for their king and country but they left a good administration.
“All they (the present government) needed to do was carry on to improve the system.”
He said it was still not too late to change the perception of the people towards DAP and he would be going round the country to give ceramahs to urge the people to vote for a better Malaysia.