IPOH, Oct 5 — DAP will defend all six seats it previously won in the upcoming Sabah state election, said its secretary-general Anthony Loke.
The party will also contest one or two additional seats in the election, as previously reported, when DAP has identified at least two state seats in the interior areas that could potentially be contested by the party's candidates.
"For DAP in Sabah, we do not have many, we have incumbent seats, only six seats that we won in the last state election.
"This time we will contest to defend all six seats plus one or two more seats that we have negotiated and we have discussed to ensure a joint victory," he said when opening the 23rd Perak DAP State Annual Convention today.
In the 16th Sabah election, DAP contested seven seats and won six seats: Luyang, Likas, Kapayan, Sri Tanjong, Elopura, and Tanjong Papat.
However, two of his former elected representatives from Elopura and Sri Tanjong joined Parti Warisan in 2022.
Meanwhile, speaking to the press and responding to the query of whether DAP would tighten its candidate selection following the party's previous betrayal, Loke said the party was not worried but confident in its replacement leaders in Sabah.
"Indeed, in the party, we have a clause in our party constitution on someone who betrays the party after winning on the strength of the party. If he jumps to another party, then we can say that he is disqualified as a party member.
"When disqualified as a party member in any state or Parliament level, they will lose their seats under the Anti-Party Hopping Law, so a by-election must be held. In the state of Sabah, there is also such an Act," he said.
Loke added that incumbency would be the main basis for negotiations between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional (BN) to face the Sabah state election after this. He is confident that the formula will strengthen and empower cooperation between the two party coalitions for the long term.
In addition, DAP deputy chairman cum Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming said he was informed by Perak Umno treasurer Datuk Sham Mat Sahat that the Perak Umno liaison committee unanimously reached a consensus that BN would work with Pakatan in the upcoming 16th general election.
"We hope that when BN joins forces with Pakatan, we will not only be able to govern Perak, but will also win a two-thirds majority in the coming term," he said in his speech.
