SANDAKAN – “Unappreciated” and “wrong”, that is how Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong described his years in Sabah DAP.
He said despite winning the Elopura seat for the party twice (in 2018 and 2020), he is still disappointed that he failed to secure votes to obtain a position in the state party’s committee.
“It is not that I don’t want DAP. It is DAP that doesn’t want me. I have felt wronged for so many years. I have lost in the state party election three times; in 2016, 2018, and 2021.
Sabah DAP also showed that I was not wanted when in the Sabah state election 2020, I was not given the appointment (watikah) from DAP to contest in Elopura. They did not want me as a candidate.
“I was only able to contest in Elopura after I received the appointment from Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal. Isn’t it obvious that the party does not want me? Enough is enough,” he told The Vibes.
Chong said that since he joined the party in 2012, he has been working hard to serve the people under the rocket logo, but the party has not shown appreciation for his hard work.
He is currently an independent assemblyman, and has yet to think about whether he is going to be friendly to the GRS government.
“Right now, I just want to focus on serving the people.”
He said that he had not informed Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Frankie Poon before making the announcement, but also that he had given Sabah DAP three months since the party election in November last year to show any kind of appreciation for him.
A total of 22 Sabah DAP branches under my constituency have quit the party. They still have not contacted me. They could have asked me to stay, or at least thank me for my contributions to the party.
“But after the party election, everyone in the committee remained silent. Hence, the last branch under my constituency, which is my Elopura branch, has officially quit DAP, too.”
Meanwhile, Sri Tanjong rep Justin Wong, another representative who left the party yesterday, told The Vibes that he does not have a personal vendetta toward Poon.
He said despite the three party members having left the party at the same time, they left for different reasons.
“My problem was that it felt that there was no communication in the party. I felt that I have been working alone all along, so with or without the party, it will still be the same. I will still be serving my constituency.
“Despite receiving the highest number of votes during (the first round) of party election in November last year, I still feel that my opinions in the party are not heard.”
He also denied being influenced by his father, former Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Jimmy Wong, who was the first to express his discontent over the new line-up.
“This decision is a totally personal decision and it has nothing to do with my father,” he said.
I refuse to speak much about the internal problems of the party because other parties may use it (as a point to attack DAP). I can only say that the main reason I am leaving is because of the internal conflict in the party.”
Wong added that he is now an independent assemblyman, but will remain an opposition member and will not support the government.
Last night in a joint statement, former senator Adrian Lasimbang, Chong, and Wong announced their departure from Sabah DAP, citing they no longer trust the newly elected state chapter committee.
The Vibes is still trying to reach Poon for comments. – The Vibes, January 21, 2022
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