DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng cited the formation of the Perak and Johor state governments as examples of its joint cooperation with Umno.
He said these two states allowed development allocations to be given to opposition constituencies.
However, Lim said DAP’s stance on not working with Umno had not changed and the party’s central executive committee (CEC) had affirmed this policy.
“Unless the CEC decides otherwise, this is our stance now,” he said in his opening address at the Penang DAP convention at the Spice Arena in Relau today.
“DAP and Pakatan Harapan will also work with Umno MPs who want Parliament to convene. We can cooperate with them on issues affecting the people.
“But let me state that DAP will not work with kleptocratic leaders in the coming 15th general election.”
Lim described Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s “new deal”, being offered to Malaysians based on social justice, as a “raw deal”, with hefty fines imposed on those flouting Covid-19 rules and racist politicking.
He said the only way to defeat such policies was for Parliament to convene quickly so that unjust and arbitrarily decided laws could be debated and quashed.
Lim said while the people wanted a repeat win by PH, following its victory in the 2018 general election, a winning formula for GE15 must unite all Malaysians to stop PN from making the country a “failed state”.
He said uniting parties against PN would not be easy but hoped all opposition parties could work together on this.
“This winning formula must not include kleptocratic leaders. We are proud that not a single of the 42 DAP MPs elected in the 2018 general election has defected to support PN or Muhyiddin,” he said.
Lim said DAP had already identified weaknesses in the party after GE14.
The party, he said, had problems in relaying its policies to the public, especially when it was in power under PH for 22 months after GE14.
He said people were watching DAP closely, and urged Penang members to close ranks and support the leadership of chief minister Chow Kon Yeow.
A total of 1,632 of the 2,103 eligible delegates were present for the convention. The hall at the Spice Arena can seat 10,000.
The state party elections are being held to select 15 committee members from among 44 candidates.