This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 24, 2025 - November 30, 2025

WHILE the Democratic Action Party (DAP) enjoys strong support from the Chinese community in Peninsular Malaysia — at least judging by the last general election — the situation in Sabah is more complex.

As a national party, DAP now finds itself increasingly pitted against Sabah-based parties pushing for greater state autonomy amid a growing wave of “Sabah first” sentiment. This is reflected in the crowded contests it faces across eight seats, ranging from a five-corner fight in Luyang to a 12-way race in Kepayan.

Other seats contested by DAP are also facing multi-cornered fights: Likas and Sri Tanjong with six-way contests, Elopura with seven, Tanjong Papat with eight, and Tanjung Aru and Kemabong with nine-way races.

In 2020, DAP won six seats: Likas, Luyang, Kepayan, Sri Tanjong, Elopura, and Tanjong Papat.

In response to constant attacks from rivals, DAP leaders on the campaign trail defended the party by stressing that Sabah’s development hinges on a “harmonious relationship” between the state and federal governments — particularly on major issues such as its rightful share of revenue.

Sabah's constitutional entitlement to 40% of federal revenue collected from the state has become a hot issue after the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruled in early October that the federal government had acted unlawfully by failing to honour Sabah’s right for nearly 50 years. Putrajaya has opted not to appeal the decision itself, but is looking into the grounds of judgment.

In addition, the party is also relying on its service record and the appeal of well-known local figures as part of what it describes as a carefully crafted winning strategy.

For instance, Sabah DAP chief Phoong Jin Zhe is shifting from Luyang — a seat he held for two terms and is considered one of DAP’s safest — to contest in neighbouring Likas.

Luyang, which gave DAP its largest winning margin of 84.8% in 2020, will now be contested by Sabah DAP Socialist Youth chief Chan Loong Wei, while Likas incumbent Datuk Tan Lee Fatt was dropped amid perceptions of underperformance.

A DAP insider said the extreme fragmentation of Sabah’s political scene — with multiple local parties promoting the same “Sabah for Sabahans” narrative — risks confusing voters.

“When voters are overwhelmed by too many choices, they tend to fall back on basic bread-and-butter concerns. This could give DAP an edge when we field candidates with strong grassroots ties and proven service records,” the insider said.

One of the closely watched points in the upcoming Sabah polls is the battle between DAP and Warisan in several key seats, where former party members turned opponents are standing.

The spotlight is on Tanjung Aru, just outside Kota Kinabalu’s city centre, where DAP is taking a calculated gamble by fielding its heavyweight, Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Chan Foong Hin, in a bid to wrest the seat from Warisan’s Junz Wong.

Wong, the Warisan vice-president, has long been a thorn in Sabah DAP’s side. He first won Likas under the DAP banner in 2013, before defecting to Warisan in 2016 and subsequently securing Tanjung Aru in both the 2018 and 2020 elections.

This election marks DAP’s debut in the bumiputera-majority Tanjung Aru, and its appeal in the community remains untested. The party is banking on Chan, who is also Kota Kinabalu MP, to leverage his well-known, down-to-earth style to connect with voters.

In another part of the state, DAP faces similar showdowns in Elopura and Sri Tanjung.

In Elopura, DAP has fielded Sandakan MP Vivian Wong Shir Yee against her former colleague and incumbent Calvin Chong Ket Kiun, who quit DAP in 2022 before the anti-hopping law was enacted and has since been openly critical of the Sabah DAP leadership.

Elopura is one of two state legislative seats under the Sandakan parliamentary constituency, which has been a traditional stronghold of the DAP. To put it in perspective, Sandakan has been in the grip of the Wong family for over a decade.

Shir Yee’s father, the late Tien Fatt, first captured the Sandakan parliamentary seat in 2013 from Barisan Nasional and has enjoyed enduring respect within the local community. In addition to Shir Yee’s own track record of local service, this could give her an edge over the other candidates.

The situation is slightly different in Sri Tanjong, where DAP will face another thorn in its side — Warisan’s Justin Wong Yung Bin, who won the seat in 2020 as a DAP candidate before defecting to Warisan in 2022.

Yung Bin’s father, Jimmy Wong Sze Phin, was also a former DAP leader who served one term as Sri Tanjong assemblyman and as Kota Kinabalu MP. However, Sze Phin quit DAP in 2011 after suffering a defeat in party polls.

How family ties will impact Sri Tanjong remains to be seen. In a bid to reclaim the seat, DAP has fielded Tawau municipal councillor Philip Yap, campaigning on development promises. This effort is backed by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, who pledged to “adopt” Sri Tanjung if Yap wins, aiming to improve local infrastructure.

Just a week after the Sabah state assembly was dissolved, Sabah DAP was rocked by the departure of its former chief and Tanjong Papat incumbent Datuk Frankie Poon.

He was joined by two Sandakan party branches and the party's former secretary for organisational affairs, Liau Fui Fui.

Citing the Sabah DAP leadership’s focus on younger leaders and the sidelining of veteran members who had long contributed to the party, Poon decided to contest Tanjong Papat again, this time under the Parti KDM banner.

Poon even claimed to bring 5,000 DAP members with him, a figure that could not be independently verified but poses a major test for DAP’s hold on the seat.

Nevertheless, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, speaking on a Mandarin-language podcast, downplayed Poon’s impact, noting that the former chief no longer wields significant influence within the party. He assured that the central leadership would fully back Sabah DAP by coordinating resources and manpower to ensure a smooth campaign in Sandakan.

DAP has tasked Sandakan municipal councillor Tang Szu Ching with defending the seat. Tang also received support from prominent peninsular leaders, including Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, to help consolidate grassroots support.

Read our special report on deciphering Sabah politics + election ahead of its 17th state polls here.

Save by subscribing to us for your print and/or digital copy.

P/S: The Edge is also available on Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play.