Ex-Sabah DAP chief, ex-secretary quit party over 'leader replacements'

Former Sabah DAP chairperson and Tanjong Papat assemblyperson Frankie Poon, as well as former state party secretary Liau Fui Fui, have quit the party together with their branches.

Sabah DAP chairperson Phoong Jin Zhe, in responding to their departures, thanked them for their services and contributions while saying that he wished the best for them.

“My team and I, together with the new Sabah DAP leadership, will continue to work with honesty, humility, and dedication to serve the people and to carry on our struggle for a better Sabah for all Sabahans,” he said in a statement today.

In a statement, Poon and Liau said the decision was made after carefully assessing internal events, in which certain leaders displayed a “hidden agenda” to replace existing Tanjong Papat leaders without consultation.

They also voiced concerns that Sabah DAP appears to focus solely on youth leadership while ignoring veterans.

They said they will continue to serve the public independently at the grassroots level along with their followers and branches.

Commenting further, Phoong commented on the need to focus on serving the people of Sandakan.

He said he spoke to Sabah DAP secretary and Sandakan MP Vivian Wong Sir Yee earlier today.

“I have full trust in her leadership to consolidate and strengthen the party’s machinery in Sandakan, ensuring that we continue offering people-oriented ideas and services while continuing our services diligently on the ground,” he added.

Internal turmoil

The state chapter of PKR, which is partnered with DAP in the Harapan coalition, is purportedly also facing internal friction amid claims that party leaders in Kuala Lumpur are hijacking the Sabah election campaign and imposing handpicked candidates.

According to three sources, 17 PKR divisional chiefs and deputies organised a secret meeting in Kota Kinabalu on Thursday night, furious over what they described as a “central takeover” of election machinery and candidate lists.

On Oct 6, Sabah caretaker chief minister Hajiji Noor announced the dissolution of the state legislative assembly, paving the way for the 17th state election.

The Election Commission will meet on Oct 16 to fix the dates for nomination and polling.

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Postal vote applications for Sabah polls to open from Oct 13 - EC