KOTA KINABALU: Two assemblymen who quit Sabah DAP last January are believed to be joining Warisan tomorrow.
They are Sri Tanjong representative Justin Wong and Calvin Chong of Elopura, who resigned from DAP to become independent assemblymen on Jan 20.
They cited a loss of direction in Sabah DAP and internal division within the state chapter for their withdrawal.
Sources in Warisan claimed the duo are set to join the party, led by Shafie Apdal. The media have been invited to attend a “majlis kemasukan” (admission ceremony) at the party’s headquarters here at 11am tomorrow.
Wong and Chong remained reticent when asked about their intentions.
Wong, a first-term assemblyman, merely replied “Maybe?” when asked if it was true he was joining Warisan. Chong said he had not decided on which party he was joining. “If I’m joining any party, I will let you know. So far, no one called me,” the two-term state representative told FMT.
Should they join Warisan, the party would have 19 seats in the state assembly, after having lost five assemblymen to other parties since winning 23 seats in the Sabah elections two years ago.
The Bugaya seat, which was won by Manis Muka Mohd Darah of Warisan, has also remained vacant since she died in November 2020.
Political analyst Tony Paridi Bagang said Warisan would be the most likely political destination for Wong and Chong. “They are still joining an opposition party and can use this as justification that they are not hopping parties. They can still say they are opposition leaders,” he told FMT.
Their entry would also augur well for Warisan, he said, in line with the party’s aim of securing its position as the party with the most seats in the Sabah assembly.
“Warisan is trying to strengthen their support. In this case, they want to get more Chinese leaders, besides adding on to their numbers. They can also maintain their image as a multi-racial party,” Bagang said. - FMT
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