Saying this, DAP’s Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong also made a link to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, adding: “I am not sure if the four departing representatives are seeing themselves as the third force of sorts, not dissimilar to Hadi’s.”
The four elected reps who quit DAP today are Kota Melaka MP Sim Tong Him, Bachang assemblyman Lim Jak Wong, Kesidang assemblyman Chin Choon Seong and Duyong assemblyman Goh Leong San. They have said they may contest the next general election as independent candidates.
This meant that the seats involved could potentially see a multi-cornered battle that the opposition has repeatedly said would benefit no one but BN, if DAP also enters the area as a party against BN and the independents.
The four Melaka leaders who quit have said they had no plans to join any other party and claimed that their decision to leave DAP was led by the loss of confidence in the party’s leadership.
Liew responded that this was a “lame excuse” that would not go far with the voters.
This is because come the 14th General Election, the public as well as political leaders would be divided into two groups. One group would support Prime Minister Najib Razak, while the other would oppose Najib, he explained.
“DAP’s national mission is to save Malaysia from further decays, slides and collapses. It is in such context that the DAP strategically works with Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Bersatu,” he said, referring to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
“No one sacrifices its principles. It is a matter of working together to save Malaysia.”
He also suggested that the four had actually quit the party because of their own failure at the party’s internal elections.
This “is not, and shall not, be part of DAP’s culture. Win or lose, we stay true with the party,” he added.
Liew is the third DAP leader to come forward to express their thoughts on the resignation of the party’s state leaders.
The first two were Penang DAP vice-chairman Zairil Khir Johari and DAP deputy secretary-general P Ramasamy.
Both also suggested that the four state representatives resigned due to dissatisfaction over their failure at the party polls. Zairil offered a haiku as part of his response to the four who quit.