The Setapak Declaration affirms DAP's viewpoint that in the process of nation-building, ethnic equality must be made the paramount principle, and it is upon this principle that the separation of citizens into "Bumiputra" and " non- Bumiputra" is strongly opposed. On policies relating to culture and education, the Declaration stresses the spirit of the National Constitution must be respected; while firmly accepting Bahasa Malaysia as the national language, the right of using other languages must be protected.

The Setapak Declaration also affirms the commitment of DAP to building a creative and harmonious nation, that provides the only way of national integration, not national disintegration. (1967)

The Statement On Cultural Democracy propagates that multiculturalism is a source of national strength and the foundation of collective culture, but not the cause of disharmony and discord.

It advocates the free exchange and development of different cultures in a multi-ethnic society because this is the best way of achieving firm and sustainable national integration.

The Petaling Declaration reaffirms that DAP is to achieve its objective of creating a democratic socialist Malaysian Malaysia through peaceful, democratic and constitutional struggle.

The Petaling Declaration also reaffirms the call to abolish the quota system, and calls on the Government to seriously deal with the problems of rural poverty, land ownership, manpower training and provision of basic infrastructure, so as to eradicate class polarisation.

The Petaling Declaration makes many suggestions on how to build a clean, efficient and caring government. The concrete measures to combat corruption and to promote democratisation are still valued as the guiding principles of our struggle. (1981)

The mission statement of the Party, that encapsulates the 25 years of the struggle of the Party and provides a future programme of action.

Guided by the basic values of democratic socialism, the Tanjong declaration also outlines the Party's stand on issues relating to privatization, labour, women, youth, environment, culture, education, rural poverty and international relations. (1992)

In order to enhance the rights of the Malaysian women of all strata and ethnic community and to accelerate the process of their liberation from passivity and subjugation, the DAP Women declares its dedication to the following programmes in 1992:

The DAP Socialist Youth, DAPSY, aspires to infuse the new Malaysian youth with values of critical and independent thinking, courage and readiness to sacrifice for democracy, justice, peace and freedom. Towards this, DAPSY dedicates its works to the following programmes:

DAPSY calls for a declaration of war against corruption which amongst others demands::

In the 1999 general election, DAP teamed up with Parti Islam SaMalaya (PAS), Parti Keadilan Nasional (Keadilan) and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) to form the Barisan Alternative (BA).

DAP remains unswerving in its commitment that Malaysia shall remain as a democratic, secular and multi-religious nation. DAP’s cooperation with the other three opposition parties was based on the BA common manifesto, “Towards A Just Malaysia” in order to break the BN’s political hegemony and smash the chains of repression fettering the rights and freedom of Malaysians and undermining justice, freedom, democracy and good governance.

Unfortunately, however, subsequent events that transpired, especially the insistence of PAS in forming an Islamic State – an idea deemed incompatible with the pluralistic nature of a Malaysian nation cherished by DAP - shattered the whole basis of the cooperation. Once the common objectives of the BA coalition had been tainted by one component party's insistence to alter the secular nature of this country, it was no longer tenable for DAP to continue in the BA.

DAP pulled out from the coalition in 2001.