Upset with Sabah DAP election results, Jimmy Wong quits party

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Jimmy Wong

KOTA KINABALU (Nov 23): Former Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Jimmy Wong has quit the party as he was disappointed many loyal veterans and ‘brains’ were ousted from the committee in Sunday’s party elections.

Wong said yesterday that the absence of Kepayan assemblyman and state DAP Wanita chief Jannie Lasimbang, former senator Adrian Lasimbang, Kota Kinabalu member of parliament Chan Foong Hin and Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong from the committee just did not make sense and would be a huge loss to Sabah DAP.

“You don’t keep loyalty, and you don’t want the brains of the party to be in the committee, so what do you want?” he asked, adding that the leaders had strong grassroots support who could steer the party effectively.

Wong added he was one of the oldest members who had been with the party since 2007 and he was among those who brought the party up from nothing to where it was today. Wong was state DAP chairman from 2013 to 2015 and was later made adviser to the party.

“But in the recent state elections, you did not even invite me and I was not even named the adviser anymore, what humiliation is this?” he asked.

Wong’s son Justin, who is Sri Tanjong assemblyman and who garnered the most votes during the party polls, was unaware of his father’s decision to quit.

“I only learnt about this matter now,” said Justin, who is now a committee member of Sabah DAP.

Justin said he would not follow his father’s decision to resign from the party as he had responsibilities towards the people. Asked if he would talk to his father about it, Justin said “it would be better for the party chairman to do that job”.

Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Frankie Poon said he had yet to receive Wong’s resignation in writing.

“I think I will let him (Wong) cool down first because there might be things said (in anger) that he does not mean,” he said.

Chan, a former Sabah DAP secretary, also did not make it to the top 15 committee posts in the party polls on Sunday. The Kota Kinabalu member of parliament was replaced by Luyang assemblyman Ginger Phoong Jin Zhe.

The four new faces in the lineup are Wong Chun Miew (state assistant treasurer), Liau Fui Fui (Sabah organisation secretary) and committee members Foo Shok Tong and Sia Yu Hock.