SHAH ALAM – West Malaysian DAP leaders "calling the shots" and the party’s silence over Albert Tei’s corruption scandal are among the key reasons behind DAP’s heavy losses in the Sabah state election.
Speaking to Sinar Daily, political analyst Professor James Chin said the results reflected deep frustration among urban Chinese voters who felt increasingly disconnected from DAP’s leadership and performance in the state.
"There are many reasons why DAP lost. Many Chinese voters were unhappy with DAP’s performance in the state government.
“DAP cannot clearly explain what they have done for the Chinese in the urban areas," he said.
Chin said dissatisfaction grew even stronger over DAP’s decision to field two incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) as state candidates.
"They are unhappy that two of the DAP candidates were actually MPs.
“The Chinese voters don't like the fact that the Chinese colleague sitting on two different chairs; people think that you should only sit on one chair," he added.
But perhaps the most damaging blow came on nomination day itself.
According to Chin, images of Sabah DAP candidates surrounded by West Malaysian DAP leaders sent a clear and negative message to voters.
"That was a big mistake. It signalled that DAP in Sabah is not a Sabah-based party, but controlled by West Malaysia.
“In my opinion, that really damaged their chances of trying to project themselves as a Sabah party," he said.
Commenting further, Chin said the party’s handling of the corruption allegations involving businessman Tei also became a major point of anger.
"The DAP in Sabah also suffered because they kept very quiet about Albert Tei’s corruption allegation.
“They did not come out openly against it or issue a strong statement. A lot of Chinese voters were very angry about that," he said.
Chin said the backlash was most evident in high-density Chinese urban constituencies, which historically formed DAP’s strongest base.
“The urban areas turned against DAP more than anything else, and when the Chinese turn against DAP, they ask themselves who is capable of forming the government. That left them with two realistic choices, GRS or Warisan.
“And if you look at the results, they voted more for Warisan because they believed Warisan had a better chance of forming the government," he added.
Tei, a businessman, was earlier remanded to assist in a high-profile corruption investigation.
The probe centres on allegations that Tei paid a former political aide hundreds of thousands of ringgit to help reclaim funds he had previously channelled to several Sabah politicians.