Poon said the departure of Justin Wong (state assemblyman for Sri Tanjong) and Calvin Chong (Elopura) could have to do with the tabling of the proposed anti-hopping bill in Parliament.

Their resignations could be a cover-up before the bill is tabled and passed, he said.

The two assemblymen were joined by former senator Adrian Lasimbang who also resigned from the party.

Poon urged Wong and Chong to relinquish their positions as assemblymen and not abuse the people’s mandate to resign from their party to become an independent or join another party.

He said he was mystified by their comments of a lack of trust in the state chairman. “I have no idea what they are trying to insinuate,” he said in a statement. “We are barely two months into the new term of the state committee and they are already unhappy? This term will be for three years … surely that can’t be the reason.”

Wong said last night there was a lack of trust in the Sabah DAP leadership, particularly in Poon. The loss of direction, serious internal division and lack of communication between leaders caused them to believe that the party was no longer striving for the people’s good.

Poon said he had never reprimanded Wong, a first-term assemblyman, despite his “shortcomings”, particularly when the latter failed to turn up without a solid excuse for the first state committee meeting.

“Last year, I went to Tawau to try to meet him to discuss any issues he had but he was frequently unavailable because of family dinners,” he said.

Poon asked for information on anyone stirring up issues and creating internal conflict within the party as Wong claimed.

He also dismissed suggestions that Chong had been sidelined, saying that Chong had contested party posts at all state conventions but failed to be elected.