YESTERDAY, despite much persuasion not to do so, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke stepped down as the Negeri Sembilan party chief.

This, after an MCA candidate for the Chennah state seat in the recent Negeri Sembilan state election defeated him.

After indicating that he would step down, there were numerous calls from state and federal DAP leaders for him not to do so.

After all, losing a seat is part of the democratic process and something all politicians should accept.

The moral behind this incident is the principle of accountability and being a leader who is willing to accept defeat without giving excuses for it.

All respect and hats off to Loke for taking this bold and responsible action.

He could have just been ‘thick-faced’ and held on to the position, coming up with all kinds of excuses for the loss.

Looking over the fence, we see leaders riddled with accusations of wrongdoings, including corruption and abuse of power, still shamelessly holding on to power.

They continue to speak with pride and even condemn others, not realising or simply ignoring the dirt in their own backyards.

Loke took the fall for honestly losing in an election, while some, despite glaring evidence, refuse to admit defeat and back down.

These ‘thick-faced’ politicians have caused the nation billions in losses, yet continue to cling to power.

There is no room for arrogance in politics, and one must learn to admit defeat and be accountable for certain wrongdoings.

Coming into politics is to serve the people and not create havoc and milk the nation for one’s own greed.

Loke’s action is a lesson in humility and one that should be followed by other politicians.

Voters despise arrogance, and despite the loss, Pakatan Harapan should see it as a silver lining.

There is still time to look deep within and win over the voters.

You may have lost the battle, but not the war.

Stop making ridiculous statements and learn from past mistakes. Voters are not dumb, nor are they blind.

The Malaysian electorate has come a long way from what it was back then, when all they knew was the ‘dacing’.

They may have opted for the ‘dacing’ this time, but they will soon realise that this is nothing but a decades-old rhetoric.

There is no more room for race-based politics in a multi-racial nation like Malaysia. We are facing far greater challenges, and the world is becoming increasingly smaller by the day.

If our great nation is going to regress by once again using race and religion as a political platform, then we are surely in danger.

Overall, Malaysians live in harmony and states like Sabah and Sarawak are prime examples of this.

We must not let desperate politicians use race and religion to divide us, and must acknowledge the fact that we are all Malaysians.

There is good and bad in all races and religions, and we must strive to ensure the good always prevails over the bad.

Race-based politics is definitely a giant step backwards and must be avoided and rejected at the ballot boxes for our future, and especially for our children. – August 4, 2026