KUALA LUMPUR: The biggest political party in Malaysia’s unity government finds itself at a crossroads as over 4,000 delegates prepare to gather on Aug 16 to decide if it should remain in the government. The Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) upcoming congress carries heightened significance following punishing setbacks in the Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections – notably the latter, where the coalition it is part of, Pakatan Harapan (PH), lost power after leading the state for two terms. Before the Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls, the party suffered a wipeout in the November 2025 Sabah state election, losing in all the eight seats it contested. To be sure, if DAP delegates decide on Aug 16 that its five full Cabinet ministers and six deputy ministers should relinquish their positions, the party’s leaders have said it will still maintain parliamentary support for the unity government until the current term ends. Besides PH, the unity government includes Barisan Nasional (BN), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), smaller parties as well as independents.