Another rep to quit Sabah DAP?

 

Calvin Chong may join Jimmy Wong in leaving DAP.

KOTA KINABALU: Another Sabah DAP assemblyman has begun contemplating his future in the party, less than two weeks after former state chief Jimmy Wong called it quits.

Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong cited internal issues and the recent party polls, in which he and several other DAP elected representatives were not voted into the state committee, as among the reasons for his unhappiness.

Chong, who retained the east coast Elopura seat for a second term in last year’s state election, however, stopped short of saying he was leaving the party.

“I am still with DAP for now,” he told FMT. “However, I am waiting to see if the party will take measures to rectify those issues and also how well the new committee performs.

“If nothing is done, I will need to think about my next course of action.”

Wong, a former Kota Kinabalu MP and state representative, announced his departure from DAP on Nov 22, saying he was disappointed with the results of the recent party election.

Besides Chong, others who failed to be re-elected into the state committee included Kota Kinabalu MP and former Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin, Kepayan assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang and former senator Adrian Lasimbang.

Tanjong Papat assemblyman Frankie Poon was elected as chairman.

Wong, who was a state assistant minister in the previous Warisan-led state government, claimed that Poon had ignored “party thinkers” who had long fought for the party.

He said he had kept his frustrations with the state leadership to himself for some time but the polls result was the last straw.

It was reported that Poon had denied the existence of factionalism or any internal rift.

Wong, who alleged that he and others had deliberately been left out of the committee, has gone on to form a NGO called the Sabah Natural Justice for Sabahans.

Following this, 55 party members from Sungai Tiram branch also quit DAP, citing unhappiness over the election results.

Chong said his constituents were also surprised by his omission from the state committee.

“There are some 30,000 voters in Elopura and most voted for me as the state representative,” he said.

“How is it that the people can trust me but not the party?”

Chong said an elected representative needed to be in the state committee so he could carry the people’s voice within the party. - FMT