KOTA KINABALU: Sabah DAP’s Tanjung Papat assemblyman Datuk Frankie Poon quit the party Saturday (Oct 11) at a crucial juncture ahead of the coming state election,
Poon, the former Sabah DAP chairman, together with former state DAP organising secretary Liau Fui Fui, who also quit the party, accused the current state leadership of systematically sidelining senior party leaders as well as taking covert actions to replace his leadership in the Tanjung Papat division.
Poon said that two DAP branches under him and Liau had also shut down with their resignations.
In a joint statement, the two leaders said the decision was not made hastily but was done after evaluating various internal developments within the party in recent times.
"We have clearly observed implicit actions from certain leaders that suggest a hidden agenda to replace the current leadership in Tanjung Papat without any formal consultation or discussion," he said in a statement.
He also observed that Sabah DAP’s current direction focuses solely on empowering the younger generation to lead the party while sidelining the roles of veteran and senior leaders who have long sacrificed and contributed to the party.
"This reflects a lack of appreciation for those senior leaders. We unanimously believe that in any organisation, there must be a balanced leadership structure — both at the top and grassroots levels — so that the organisation can grow harmoniously and inclusively.
He said for years, they had served the people and the party with full dedication.
However, when principles of honesty, mutual respect, and shared struggle are no longer valued, it is best to quit.
"Although this decision is bitter, we do it to uphold the principles of our struggle and the trust of the people. We want to make it clear that our service to the people will not end here.
“We will continue to fight for the people as usual — with sincerity, commitment, and courage. Political platforms may change, but the spirit of serving the people remains our top priority.
"With this announcement, we and our supporters and branches will move independently from DAP’s structure, while continuing our political service and grassroots struggle as usual," he added.
Poon, who was a former minister in the Warisan-Pakatan Harapan state government in 2018, did not indicate whether he was planning to join another party or move as an independent in the coming election.
