LDP vice-president Chin Shu Ying said Luyang assemblyman Hiew King Cheu, Likas assemblyman Junz Wong and Kapayan assemblyman Edwin Bosi had all left DAP over the past two years.
“If DAP is as perfect as its secretary claims, why did the assemblymen quit the party?” he said to FMT.
He was referring to Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin, who recently challenged LDP president Teo Chee Kang to contest in Likas to prove that the local Barisan Nasional (BN) component still has support from the Chinese community.
Chin said the three assemblymen had left DAP because they realised its flaws and saw no future with the party.
He said Sabahans would also withdraw their support for DAP once they realised that the party was insincere in its struggle to safeguard their rights.
Saying Chan’s challenge to Teo reflected DAP’s “arrogance”, Chin added that the party was taking the Chinese community for granted.
“DAP thinks it can bank on Chinese support and its representatives can contest in any constituency they like.
“But when it comes to serving the people on the ground, DAP always gives the excuse of being an opposition party to justify its lack of service.”
On the other hand, Chin said, LDP’s candidates were committed to their constituents and would not swap seats for political gain.
“DAP’s tendency to swap seats shows the party was only using the seats as a stepping stone to be elected as YBs.
“LDP is a party that fights for the interests of Sabahans, irrespective of race.”
Chin said this was why the party contested not only in Chinese-majority constituencies but in mixed constituencies as well.
He said he could have challenged Chan to contest in Tanjong Kapor, where Teo is assemblyman, but had not done so out of respect for the voters.
“We do not regard the constituencies as battlegrounds between political parties or politicians. I urge Chan to learn to respect the voters and constituencies.”
DAP has said the support of voters for the ruling coalition in Chinese-majority state constituencies such as Likas and Luyang is on the decline.
However, BN maintains that the support of the Chinese community will swing back to it in the coming election.
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