Wong, 70, said the NGO, called the Sabah Natural Justice for Sabahans, would be used to “test the waters” before a decision is made to see whether it can function as a political outfit.

“I want to show the people that Jimmy still has the ability and energy to pursue a higher goal at the age of 70,” he said in a report by The Borneo Post Online today.

“But I have to test it first. If the people think we are good, we will be a political party.”

Wong, a former Kota Kinabalu MP and state representative, said that the economy, poverty, education and native rights would be among the issues the NGO would fight for.

The NGO was also willing to accept individuals from the opposition or government so long as they had the same goals as the organisation, he said.

Former Sabah DAP secretary Edwin Bosi, who was previously the Kepayan assemblyman, would be the NGO’s secretary-general, he added.

Wong, who earned the nickname “Tiger” when he was the lone opposition assemblyman in 2008, announced his departure from DAP on Monday, saying he was disappointed with the results of the recent party elections.

Those who were not re-elected into the state committee included Kota Kinabalu MP and former Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin, Kepayan and Elopura assemblymen Jannie Lasimbang and Calvin Chong, as well as former senator Adrian Lasimbang.

Wong, who was a state assistant minister in the previous Warisan-led state government, also claimed that new state DAP chief Frankie Poon had ignored the “party thinkers” who had long fought for the party.

He said he had kept his frustrations with the state leadership to himself for some time but the party polls result was the last straw.

Following that, party leaders including DAP deputy secretary-general Teresa Kok as well as Poon have issued statements to persuade Wong to reconsider his decision.