Ex-Sabah DAP member Lasimbang taking time off from politics to focus on grassroots work

KOTA KINABALU: Former senator Adrian Lasimbang wants to take time off from politics to put more focus on grassroots work for now.

The former Sabah DAP member said he is aware of the offer by the party to invite him back to the fold and to withdraw his resignation, but is in no hurry to consider it.

“At the moment, I'm not in a hurry to consider it, as I am more focused on my grassroots work.

“I'll take three months to think about it and also monitor the political developments in the country,” he added.

Lasimbang quit DAP on Jan 20 along with assemblymen Calvin Chong (Elopura) and Justin Wong (Sri Tanjong), citing, among other reasons, the party leadership’s ineffectiveness and for sidelining important members within Sabah DAP.

Lasimbang also said that the “Godfather-style" management that favours patronage over inclusiveness was the main reason he quit the party.

He said an overhaul was needed to avoid manipulation of DAP branches and eradicate the "godfather" mentality to make the party more inclusive especially for the indigenous community to become members.

Meanwhile, Chan Foong Hin has been reappointed into the state party committee line-up and he has no issue being co-opted following the resignation of these three leaders.

The Kota Kinabalu MP, who was former DAP secretary, said that the unity of the party tops everything else and that he was not concerned on what posts he would get from this co-option.

“Actually, I feel that my position in the party is not important because I already have the people’s mandate as MP and I have more important duties to fulfil apart from party responsibilities,” he said on Sunday (Jan 23).

Asked if he was still going to stay with DAP with what has been happening within the party recently, he said "of course".

“I hope Sabah DAP will grow and learn from these challenges. Actually, some things did not have to go the way it did in the first place,” Chan added.

Kapayan assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang, who was also reappointed into the state central committee following the resignation of these three leaders, has yet to comment on the matter.