Sabah DAP’s Phoong Jin Zhe denies proposing leaders for GLC posts, reaffirms stance not to join govt
PETALING JAYA: Sabah DAP chairman Phoong Jin Zhe, has denied ever sending any letter to the Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor proposing that DAP leaders be appointed to GLC positions.
He issued the denial on Facebook after a “draft letter”, which appears to have been screen-captured from a computer and dated Dec 5, began circulating on social media.
In his posting Phoong pointed out that the purported letter lacks his signature and does not bear any official stamp.
“Since the election, I have never sent any letter to the Chief Minister,” he said.
He also added that, at a party meeting on the evening of December 7, Sabah DAP reaffirmed its longstanding decision not to join the government, a stance also endorsed by the party’s state leadership.
“As I has said before, Sabah DAP will return to the people and continue serving them, step by step, in a bid to restore public trust,” he ended his post.
Several names apperated in the circulating “letter” including those part of the Sabah DAP leadership structure.
Among them are Henry Shim Chee On, Sabah DAP treasurer; Lai Shiau Ling, assistant treasurer; and Grelydia Gillod, director of political education.
Also listed in the purported document are Sabah DAP committee members Tsen Ngee @ Tsen Nyuk Kee, George Wong Hsueh Cheng, Chin Thau Kuong, Wong Chun Miew, and Liew Chan Hang.
The clarification comes in the wake of a major electoral setback for Sabah DAP following the 17th state election, the party failed to win any of the eight seats it contested.
The seats contested — and lost — by Sabah DAP were: Luyang, Kapayan, Likas, Tanjong Papat, Elopura, Sri Tanjong, plus the new seats of Tanjung Aru and Kemabong.
Before the 2025 Sabah state election, DAP had held six of those seats — Likas, Luyang, Kapayan, Sri Tanjong, Elopura and Tanjong Papat — making the 2025 result a complete wipe-out at the state level.
Despite the state-level wipeout, DAP continues to hold two parliamentary seats in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan.
