In greater Kota Kinabalu, DAP touts service as scandal drags down Harapan

SABAH POLLS | Since winning its first Sabah state seat in 2008, DAP has slowly built up entrenched positions in the state, mostly in urban areas with a sizeable Chinese voter base.

The party reached its peak in 2018, going from four state seats to six - a number which it retained in 2020 - a feat observers partly attributed to its partnership with Warisan at the time.

This link was put to the test in the 2022 general election - when only Parliament seats were contested in Sabah.

In that election, in the two Parliament seats DAP retained, Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan, its vote share decreased, chipped away by Warisan.

While DAP still won those two Parliament seats comfortably, its challenge come Saturday is to prove that it can maintain such a performance, and both retain the six state seats it has, while capturing another two.

Three of the six seats DAP is defending, Likas, Luyang, and Kapayan, lie in the greater Kota Kinabalu area. It is also seeking to capture Tanjong Aru from Warisan vice-president Junz Wong.

Kapayan incumbent Jannie Lasimbang is seeking a third term, while Sabah DAP chief Phoong Jin Zhe is moving from Luyang to Likas.

In Luyang, Phoong’s former aide Chang Loon Wei is contesting, while Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin is being sent to wrest Tanjong Aru.

When Malaysiakini caught up with DAP during the final week of campaigning, the messaging was simple: The party’s representatives had a proven track record, and they could deliver even more if re-elected.

The party even brought veteran Lim Kit Siang out of retirement, his presence evoking a sense of nostalgia and fondness for an idealised version of DAP.

But it was apparent that there were hurdles to overcome.

In her speeches, Jannie, who is a Kadazan, repeatedly fought back against grievances from the grassroots that she had neglected her Chinese constituents.

Corruption scandal

Meanwhile, the Sabah corruption scandal plaguing DAP’s ally GRS, as well as recent revelations implicating its Pakatan Harapan partner PKR, cast a dark shadow over the campaign.

At a dinner for 800 party supporters on Tuesday night, DAP deputy chairperson Nga Kor Ming attempted to reassure the crowd that DAP and the Harapan-led federal government were still committed against graft.

This was after allegations surfaced against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s now-former political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin.

Nga claimed Shamsul’s resignation was over a support letter the latter wrote, and that even though he did not take bribes, the Madani government’s strong anti-corruption stance led to his resignation.

Critics, however, pointed out that it has been more than a year since Shamsul wrote the support letter for contractors, and that his resignation as political secretary was in anticipation of a new set of allegations that he took money from businessperson Albert Tei.

At a coffee shop in Kapayan, lawyer Adam Chin looked on with curiosity while Jannie, Chang, and Phoong campaigned.

Speaking to Malaysiakini after, Chin noted that Sabah has a long history of shifting alliances among political parties, and there were many issues for voters to consider for this election.

“Some are saying we should reject Harapan, in particular due to ‘guilt by association’ over the videos that implicated some GRS leaders,” he said.

40pct revenue issue

Chin said there was also the issue of Sabah’s 40 percent entitlement to federal revenue it collects, and Putrajaya’s appeal against a High Court decision which held the government liable for over four decades of unrevised payments.

“There are a lot of people in Sabah right now who are angry about the recent decision in relation to the 40 percent entitlement.

“Because of that, many people are saying we should reject peninsula parties,” he said.

“So, for me, my view is that we should look at the candidates themselves, those who are sincere in their job and can get the job done,” he added.

Over at the Donggongan vegetable market in Kapayan, a seller who only wished to be known as Tan had even more to vent about DAP and the caretaker state government they are part of.

“They (the state government) say they will solve problems, but they don't. Like the blackouts. Blackouts are a common occurrence in Sabah. So, what they (government) say and do is completely different,” the middle-aged man said.

This was part of a pattern of what Tan viewed as unfulfilled promises.

Despite this, the trader had a positive view of Jannie.

“Jannie is not bad, to be honest,” he said.

However, Tan votes in Likas, not Jannie’s Kapayan seat, and he is keeping his decision on who to vote for this Saturday close to his chest.

“I don't know yet, I don't know yet, I will only understand at the end,” he said when asked if he would vote for DAP.

Setbacks for DAP?

For political observer Lim Hock Song, this Saturday’s election may see DAP suffering setbacks for the first time since 2013.

He argued that past support for DAP, aimed at installing Anwar as prime minister and fighting corruption, has become increasingly irrelevant for voters today, citing DAP’s cooperation with GRS despite the latter being implicated in the Sabah mining corruption scandal.

“Even in the fight against extremists, the DAP is not doing well in the peninsula,” the founder of NGO Unity in Diversity told Malaysiakini in an interview.

“So, the only factor left is that DAP is providing good service. That’s why, if you look at this campaign, the whole focus is on one thing: Work for the people, deliver for the people.

“They emphasise good service - helping to clear trees, helping with deliveries, beautifying the area. That’s their message: they can work, they can deliver.

“And honestly, that’s the only selling point they have left, because they know they can’t argue on other issues and they can’t differentiate themselves elsewhere,” he added.

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