‘REBELLION’ BREWING IN DAP SABAH UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP

The new DAP Sabah Committee “had the cheek to invite Kota Kinabalu MP Jimmy Wong, Sri Tanjung Assemblyman Chan Foong Hin and Kepayan Assemblyman Edwin Bosi to join it after shaming them”.

KOTA KINABALU: A DAP Sabah leader has turned rebel and is questioning the new party committee in the state, set up in the wake of the recent internal election in Sandakan, and expressed disappointment with it. DAP Melalap Chief Hassim Riki @ Lawrence Piki wants to know why the newly-formed committee was pleading with ousted DAP Sabah Chairman Jimmy Wong, also the Kota Kinabalu MP, and two others – defeated Vice-Chairman Chan Foong Hin and outgoing Secretary Edwin Bosi – to join it.

“It’s ironical considering that newly-elected DAP Sabah Chairman Stephen Wong, also the Sandakan MP, and Likas Assemblyman Junz Wong, were against a ‘no contest’ affair in the recent internal election,” said Lawrence, a former member of the DAP Sabah Committee who withdrew his name from the internal election along with Charles Magadap, Daniel Kalinggang and Anjan bin Nanyang in the belief that there would be no contest. “The plan reportedly was to get others to withdraw so that there will be only 15 names left in the contest and therefore a ‘no contest’ situation would arise.”

“That would have meant that all the elected lawmakers would be in the committee.”

Lawrence lamented that Stephen and Junz, behind his back, met up with Charles Magadap, Daniel Kalinggang and Anjan bin Nanyang and asked them to withdraw their retraction letter. “If Stephen and Junz were sincere, they would have let us all withdraw from the contest as initially agreed. This would have ensured that all five elected lawmakers would be in the committee.”

Lawrence was commenting on the new DAP Sabah Committee “having the cheek to invite Jimmy, Sri Tanjung Assemblyman Chan and Kepayan Assemblyman Edwin to join the committee after shaming them”.

This is not the first shameful episode of its kind in DAP Sabah, claimed Lawrence. “I am privy to an agreement between Jimmy and Stephen where the latter agreed not to contest against the former for the chairmanship of the party. “

“The agreement was made in Shanghai between the two leaders in the presence of Chan and Edwin.”

Lawrence wonders how members can trust Stephen as the Chairman of the party in the Sabah chapter if he cannot keep his word.

The rebel member suspects that there had been a plan all along to remove Jimmy as the Chairman. “First, we had the accusation by former DAP Sabah Deputy Chairman Fred Fung that Jimmy pocketed RM180,000 of the election donation fund. Also, Junz accused Jimmy of pocketing in fact RM1 million of the election donation fund.”

He recalled that DAP Sabah formed a committee to probe the allegation and has so far been unable to find anything to report.

Stephen has since disclosed that official letters will be sent to Jimmy, Chan and Edwin soon to join the new DAP Sabah Committee. “They are matured and responsible leaders,” said Stephen. “I do not see any problems.”

“Jimmy can contribute a lot to the party. We value what he has done for the party.”

Stephen added that the existing sub-committees and portfolios would be maintained. “We are not changing anyone. We want to show solidarity. Everything is normal in DAP Sabah after the party election, although we have a new leadership.”