In conjunction with the 55th Anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), DAP Kota Kinabalu today launched a mobile service van for its Unit Tindak DAP Kota Kinabalu to better serve the people here in greater Kota Kinabalu.
The mobile service van was launched at the new DAP Sabah Headquarters near Jalan Kijang by DAP Sabah Advisor Datuk Jimmy Wong Sze Phin.
After the launching, the service van had departed from the new office and made a road trip around Kota Kinabalu. We stopped by at about 16 locations to handover the 55th Anniversary T-shirts or party flags to our loyal supporters who have been there supporting the party for many years.
The DAP Sabah Headquarters would be giving out 100 pieces of party flag to party supporters, first come first served, to hang in his or her office or residence in celebration and commemoration of 55 years from the Party’s founding, and that those interested can walk in to the party’s premises at Jalan Kijang and request for the same.
Brief history of DAP in Sabah
DAP has come a long way since our registration by the Registrar of Societies on March 18, 1966.
Back in 13 May 1969, the then DAP Organizing Secretary, Lim Kit Siang, had come to Sabah under the instructions of the DAP national leadership with three objectives: (1) To help independent Parliamentary candidates in Sabah, at the invitation of the Sabah Independents (2) To urge the people of Sabah to vote in at least 12 Opposition Parliamentarians to deny the Alliance its two-thirds majority to change the Malaysian Constitution at will to the detriment of Malaysian interests, and (3) To form DAP Branches in Sabah. As it can be seen, the DAP has already left its footprints in Sabah as early as 1969.
The first DAP MP elected in Sabah is Fung Ket Wing, in 1978 as the Member of Parliament for Sandakan. Fung successfully defended the seat for three terms till 1990.
In 1986, apart from Sandakan, DAP Sabah won also three more federal parliamentary constituencies, namely Tawau, Gaya and Tanjung Aru, for a total of four seats in the Dewan Rakyat. This is a record which is unbroken till today as DAP Sabah only has three seats after entering into a political coalition with Pakatan Harapan and Warisan.
Then in 1990, all 4 DAP MPs lost in a friendly match with PBS, including Fung Ket Wing who contested in Gaya against Philip Yong Chiew Lip when both parties formed a loose coalition together with Semangat 46 to challange Mahathir’s Barisan Nasional (BN). Fung eventually left the DAP after a dispute within the party, but he continues to support DAP candidates in Sabah during recent Sandakan by-election in 2019.
1990 to 2008 was the period when DAP Sabah had experienced a downturn as Sabahans moved their support to other parties such as PBS, SAPP and LDP, even at federal level. With PBS eventually joined BN in 2002, leading to BN having another stranglehold on power and the two-thirds majority to change the Malaysian Constitution and redraw electoral boundaries at will, up until 2008.
The resurrection of DAP Sabah happened in 2008, when 1 MP and 1 ADUN were elected, even under circumstances where there were multiple corner fights with other opposition parties. Jimmy Wong, first elected in 2018 in Sri Tanjong, was the first DAP’s State Assemblyperson ever in Sabah. In fact, he was the sole opposition member in the Sabah State Assembly between 2008 to 2013.
The DAP achieved another milestone when it had managed to win 4 state seats and also saw its first native State Assemblyperson elected, Dr Edwin Bosi in Kepayan. Apart from Sri Tanjong and Kepayan, the DAP had also won Likas and Luyang in 2013. In 2013, DAP Sabah had also recaptured the Sandakan parliamentary seat after losing it in 1990, electing the late Stephen Wong as Member of Parliament.
In 2018, DAP Sabah has managed to achieve the best result in its history with the highest number of elected representatives in the party’s history, namely having won 3 parliamentary seats of Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tenom, and winning 6 State Assembly seats of Likas, Luyang, Kepayan, Tanjong Papat, Elopura and Sri Tanjong.
For the first time ever, DAP Sabah became part of both federal and state governments. We have also managed to break the perception that the DAP is a male dominated party that serves only the Chinese and urban dwellers by winning Tenom, which is a rural seat and installing lawyer Noorita Sual, who also happened to be the first Murut woman MP. Another elected State Assemblyperson is Jannie Lasimbang, a Kadazan iron lady who has been actively playing her leading’s role in social movement such as Bersih.
State elected representatives of Sabah DAP had been allocated two 2 state ministerships and 2 assistant ministerships in the Warisan Plus Sabah state government. Its federal elected representatives were also appointed into federal statutory bodies such as the Labuan Port Authority and the Malaysian Cocoa Board.
The collapse of Pakatan Harapan federal government due to defection, coupled with the downfall of the Warisan Plus state government after losing the state election last year, both is a painful experience for DAP Sabah, but we had never given up and had continued to stay focused on our dream for a better and more equitable Federation of Malaysia where Sabah is truly an equal partner.
Even though DAP Sabah is now back in opposition and no longer has much access to government allocations and funding, we endeavour to continue to serve our constituents faithfully, to the best of our abilities. Today’s launching of the Unit Tindak mobile service van is one of such service to the people here in greater Kota Kinabalu.