A FACEBOOK post by DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook has attracted attention after he shared a Malay proverb shortly after Ong Kian Ming announced his resignation from the party.
Loke posted the words “Habis madu, sepah dibuang” without further comment.
The proverb, loosely understood as “once the honey is finished, the leftovers are thrown away”, is often used to describe someone being discarded after they are no longer needed.
Given the timing, some social media users were quick to speculate about whether Loke’s post was connected to Ong’s departure.
Loke, however, did not mention Ong in the post or say who the proverb was referring to.
Ong, a former two-term MP, announced earlier today that he was leaving DAP after about 14 years with the party.
The former Serdang and Bangi lawmaker said he would not join another political party and did not intend to contest in the next general election.
He said he would instead remain involved in political activities, including helping former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin in the run-up to GE16.
Ong entered Parliament in 2013 as the MP for Serdang before moving to Bangi in the 2018 general election. He served as deputy international trade and industry minister between 2018 and 2020.
His political standing within DAP had also changed over the years. Ong was previously elected to the party’s central executive committee but failed to retain a place in the top leadership in the 2022 party polls.
He did not contest for a position in the 2025 DAP leadership election.
His decision to leave the party, followed hours later by Loke’s pointed but unexplained proverb, has since become a talking point among DAP supporters and political observers online. - August 31, 2026
