DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has thanked Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming for his contributions and respects his wish not to contest in the next general election.
Loke said Ong made up his mind not to contest even before the DAP Central Executive Committee election two months ago in March.
"He told me two months ago. After I took over as the secretary-general post, he discussed his decision with me. I tried to persuade him to stay.
In a statement earlier today, Ong, 46, stressed that he is not retiring from politics but merely taking a break to regroup and recharge.
"While the results of the recent DAP central executive committee elections did play a role in confirming my decision to take a break from frontline politics, it was not the main reason for my decision," he said.
Elaborating, Loke said Ong pledged to continue to assist the DAP in the next general election with his expertise in constituency analysis and policy analysis.
The two-term MP will still play an important role.
"He is a very strong MP. He has performed well in various fields. So, I tried to persuade him to stay. But he said he made up his mind. He and his wife hope for a break from politics," said Loke.
Loke said that Ong announced his decision earlier today so that the party has sufficient time to arrange for a new candidate for the Bangi parliamentary seat.
"He made a recommendation on his successor. We will decide after listening to the party grassroots and state committee and following an assessment on the constituency," he added.
Ong, a second-term MP, was elected as Serdang MP in 2013. His constituency was renamed to Bangi following the redelineation exercise in 2018.
He also served as the deputy minister of international trade and industry during the Pakatan Harapan era. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.