DAP’s heavy defeat in the Sabah state election was described as a clear voter verdict rather than a minor regional setback, according to former Klang MP Charles Santiago.
He said the party’s complete loss in all eight seats it contested on Nov 29 reflected a full-blown backlash among voters, including Chinese constituents long considered its core base.
“And if DAP thinks this anger is confined to Sabah, it’s deluding itself. The same resentment is simmering in the Peninsular. People are tired of being taken for granted, tired of mixed signals, & tired of a party that seems unsure of what it stands for whenever power is at stake,” he wrote on X.
He argued that the party’s core supporters turning away signalled a verdict rather than a warning, and that similar sentiments were emerging in Peninsular Malaysia.
He said the party needed to return to people-centred issues such as cost of living, governance and accountability, while addressing perceptions of arrogance that had taken root.
“Voters don’t owe any party their loyalty; parties owe the people humility and hard work. For years, DAP branded itself as the party of ordinary Malaysians, the party that dared to speak truth to power. That identity has blurred,” he added.
Santiago further said the party’s future depended on whether it became grounded and service-oriented again. He claimed the results in Sabah were not a fluke but a message that could shape the party’s national trajectory.
PKR central leadership council member Lee Chean Chung echoed the concerns.
According to Lee, PH should not assume continued support from urban voters and warned that its integrity and progressive appeal appeared unclear and unreliable. He said the coalition risked a broader backlash if meaningful changes were not made.
DAP saw its top leaders in Sabah defeated, including state chief Phoong Jin Zhe in Likas, Jannie Lasimbang in Kapayan and deputy chairman Chan Foong Hin in Tanjung Aru. The 2024 outcome reversed the six seats won by the party in the 2020 election. —Nov 30, 2025
Main image: Media Selangor
